


A Clan of Kings.

by Tribbs



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, F/M, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Sexual Slavery, Sexual Violence, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-20 07:32:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 25
Words: 90,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9481181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tribbs/pseuds/Tribbs
Summary: After John Winchester's mate was killed in a raid on their settlement by a rogue clan, he becomes obsessed with keeping his Omega sons safe.With Omegas highly prized and often victims of forced matings, which left them slaves to an Alpha, John Winchester trains his sons to defend themselves and each other.Castiel is an Alpha in a clan that see having an Omega harem as a status symbol. The more Omegas, the higher the status. With no Omegas of his own, a disdain for forced matings, and a longing for a true mate, his status in the clan is very low indeed.Rated explicit for later chapters. Will add tags as appropriate.***PLEASE DO NOT COPY AND POST ELSEWHERE***Work in progress. New chapter soon!





	1. Chapter One.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! *waves*  
> This story, and the universe it is set in, popped into my head as one gigantic piece, too vast to even see the edges. I know how I want the story to go, I just have to navigate my way through the sheer amount of info that the inspiration fairy dumped into my brain.  
> In this fic, John Winchester isn't such a bad guy. He just does his best in a terrible situation. I'm not a fan of angst for angst sake. So no bratty Dean having a big gay panic and storming off to sulk (because .. ugh *eyerolls*). Dean knows who he is, he just has justifiable trust issues.  
> This first chapter is mostly world building and main character introduction. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are food for my starved ego. *puppy eyes*

** Prologue**

 

The A/B/O Virus had devastated the entire world. With the majority of people being born sterile, the population plunged to near extinction within a handful of generations. Cities lay empty, left to crumble, regimes rose and fell. None managing to hold on to power for long with the population dwindling with each successive generation. Society crumbled until it broke down completely.

 Traditional genders no longer mattered. What mattered was whether you could breed or not. Secondary genders mattered, whether you were an Alpha or an Omega.

 Betas were sterile, still considered worthy due to being naturally level headed and not a slave to biology.

But Alphas and Omegas were precious. They were the key to the survival of the species.

 Alphas, stronger, faster and aggressively territorial, automatically became the dominant gender. Fiercely protective, they began to form clans and carve out territory in the now empty world.

 Omegas, naturally submissive and extremely fertile, were highly prized and fought over. Especially male Omegas, which were _extremely_ rare.

 Clan raids to steal Omegas were an unfortunate common phenomenon as were forced matings in which only the Alpha would inflict the mating bite.

 A true mating, in which both parties received a mating bite, formed a chemical bond in which both partners could anticipate the others needs and share an equal relationship, both equally devoted to the other.

 Forced matings were nothing like that. A forced mating made only the Omega submit completely to the Alpha. A true slave of biology. This allowed the Alpha to mate more than once. Some Alphas had harems of Omegas, products of forced matings, to tend to his or her every need and produce as many offspring as possible. In some rogue clans it became a mark of status to have more than one Omega. The more Omegas, the higher the status.

 Most clans lived in fear of raids and lived in highly defended settlements. Some clans moved periodically, trying to stay ahead of the rogue clans and protect their Omegas.

 No-one knew where the rogue clan settlements were. They would only be seen during a raid, and would vanish again after. Taking the unmated Omegas, any useful supplies and even their dead, leaving no clues as to where they came from or where they went. Tracks disappearing as if by magic.

  
   
                                                                                                                   

                                                                                  

                                                                                                   **Chapter one**

 

 

“For fucks sake, Dean!” Sam hissed out from behind gritted teeth as he threw their belongings haphazardly into various duffel bags on the bed, scowling at his brother.

 “What did I do now?” Dean sighed, sitting up from where he had been sprawled on the other bed, one arm over his eyes to block out the harsh afternoon sunlight streaming in the single window of the room in the abandoned motel in Ohio.

“You pissed the wrong person off, again!” Sam gritted out harshly, “You always do this, every time we settle somewhere, you have to fucking start trouble. Now he's gonna make us go back on the road again. Because you can't keep your head down!”

 Sam threw the books he was holding onto the bed and flopped his 6ft 4in frame down next to them, running his hands through his long hair in exasperation and dropping his head into his hands, his long hair falling to to cover his face and his shoulders tight.

Dean bristled and stared incredulously at his giant brother before looking around the decaying room, furniture barely holding together, stained carpet and wallpaper peeling and faded to the point that there was no discernible pattern.

 “Dude! That's not fair and you know it. Dad would have taken us back on the road anyway at some point. This is just his favourite excuse.” Dean said bitterly. “I'm not gonna submit to some bag of dicks Alpha, just so we don't have to go back on the road. Dad wasn't there, and that prick of an Alpha wouldn't back off, so I had to resort to tougher measures.”

 

_Dean had been at the local distillery, picking up the order of ethanol that the car ran on (oil production had been abandoned after the collapse), when an Alpha had begun to scent him, growling lowly and demanding obedience with a hand at the back of Deans neck. Dean had shrugged him off with a growl of his own, telling the Alpha to go and knot himself before turning his back on the posturing Alpha, a deliberate insult._

_The enraged Alpha had snarled and grabbed Deans throat from behind, trying to force Dean to submit. Dean merely thrown his head back, head butting the Alpha in the face, breaking his nose and then delivering a punishing elbow to the ribs, finally flipping the Alpha with a hip throw and dropping a knee into the incapacitated Alphas chest. “No means no, you fucking asshole!” sneered Dean, into the Alphas bloody face. Delivering a final kick to the guts, Dean rose and made eye contact with the distillery merchant, who made sure to hurry with Deans order._

 

Dean slid off the bed and stood then began to empty the duffel bags and repack them neatly, folding each item carefully, silently fuming and looking over at Sam every few seconds, waiting for the frustration to fade and reason to seep in. It always did. The silence in the room only broken by the rustle of fabric as Dean continued folding and packing.

 

Eventually Sam sighed deeply and tucked his long hair behind his ears, letting the tension out of his posture and turning to face Dean, shamefaced.

 “Yeah, I know. I'm really sorry dude. I don't expect you to submit to an Alpha. I just hate this, y'know? I want to settle somewhere, for good or at least for more than a couple of months”

He stood up and gave Dean an awkward one armed hug and several back slaps as Dean hugged back, equally as awkward.

 “I do know, Sammy. Dad is just trying to protect us the best way he knows how. It can't be easy for him either. Two Omegas to raise on his own, he must be out of his mind with worry half the time”

he tugged playfully at Sam's hair and smirking before ruffling it, teasing “You need a haircut, bitch”

Sam scowled and shoved Dean's hand away, smoothing his hair down and muttering under his breath about 'jerk brothers who know nothing'.

As soon as Dean turned his back on his brother, Sam struck, flicking Dean's ear painfully and dancing away when Dean whirled around. “Fuckin' OW Sam!” He lunged at his giant sized brother as Sam dodged and weaved away, leading Dean on a chase around the room.

“Ohhh, you are gonna pay, Samantha. You won't need an Alpha anytime soon, 'cause the next thing going in your ass, is my foot” said Dean, as he made another unsuccessful grab for his brother.

“Eww! Dude, just, no.” laughed Sam leaping further out of Deans reach onto his bed and throwing a balled up t-shirt at his brothers face. The t-shirt unravelled mid-flight revealing a pair of used underwear that draped themselves over Deans shoulder, whilst the t-shirt struck his chest and dropped to the ground.

 Dean stood stock still and glared at his brother, who had frozen with a look of horror on his face.

“Dude... I didn't know... I didn't know they were in there... I swear... I'm so sorry! Please, please don't kill me.” said Sam, simultaneously begging and trying to hold back laughter and failing miserably.

“For fucks sake, Sam! I think these belong to Dad!” whined Dean before gagging and trying to shrug them off his shoulder without actually touching them. Resulting in Sam becoming breathless with laughter and tears rolling down his face.

Dean suddenly shot forward grabbing Sam's ankles and pulling his legs out from underneath him so that he fell onto his back onto the bed. “Mwahaha! Revenge is so sweet, brother of mine” crowed Dean as he wrestled Sam's arms away from his face and pinned them with a knee as he brandished the underwear threateningly.

“Nooooooo!” squealed Sam, bucking and trying to throw Dean off.

“Not so funny now, is it?” laughed Dean as he rubbed the offending underwear all over Sam's face and hair.

Finally succeeding in throwing Dean off, Sam tackled his brother, knocking them both onto the disgusting carpet, where they wrestled until both were exhausted and coughing.  
  
Lying side by side on the floor they panted, getting their breath back and occasionally making eye contact and laughing again.  
  
“C'mon, let's pack up and get ready to get the fuck out of this shithole.” groaned Dean as he heaved himself up, slapping Sam on the shoulder.

 

Dean resumed his careful folding, packing with the efficiency of the well travelled.

Sam carefully checked the rest of the room, making sure none of their belongings were left behind. Hidden weapons checked and packed carefully or distributed about their person. Mental checklists ticked off. It wasn't likely they would be back any time soon, if ever. They worked like a well oiled machine in almost everything they did, even the mundane things like packing.

“Did Dad tell you where we are headed this time? I hope we can swing by Bobby's. I miss that old bastard.” He laughed and then pointed at Sam and narrowed his eyes “Don't tell him I said that or I'll cut your hair off while you sleep” said Dean, threateningly.

“I wouldn't dare anyway” Sam laughed “He'd just smack me across the back of the head and call me an idjit”.

Sam began to move the packed duffles towards the door, ready to be loaded into the car at a moments notice.

“Dad didn't say where, just to pack our shit quick. He's getting supplies. We move out tonight.” He said sadly.  
  
Dean zipped up the last bag and put it by the door with the others. “I dunno how long Dad is gonna be. We may as well take a nap, Sammy. Lord knows when we'll get to sleep in a real bed again anytime soon. Might as well make the most of it while we can”

He straightened the blankets of what for the last two months had been his bed and flopped face down, fully dressed in jeans, plaid shirt and boots with one arm tucked under the pillow as Sam did the same on his bed.

“G'night, bitch” murmured Dean. Sam chuckled and burrowed into his pillow muttering “G'night, jerk”.

Within moments Sam was snoring softly and Dean allowed his mind to drift in preparation for sleep.

  
  
_They had been on the road almost all their lives, since Mary, their mother, had been killed in a clan raid as another clan had attempted to steal away the unmated Omegas in their settlement._

_The Alpha that had killed her had also burned the settlement to the ground, John had placed baby Sam into 4yr old Deans arms and told him to get outside while he tried to save his mate. Not knowing she was already doomed, her back was broken by the vicious Alpha, Azazel and she burned to death, unable to escape the flames._

_He had gone almost mad with grief when he realised she was dead. Being a true mating, the break in the bond had almost killed John too. It likely would have if they hadn't taken sanctuary with Bobby Singer, an Alpha that John had known for many years, who had also lost his mate to a clan raid many years before. His house not far from the settlement and untouched by the flames._

_Bobby had taken them in and cared for them all until John recovered enough to function. Dean and Sam saw him as a second father and a source of wisdom._

 

_John became obsessed with keeping his Omega sons safe. Training them to defend against stronger Alphas with weapons or hand to hand combat and keeping them moving, often camping in the now vast wilderness for months at a time. Keeping track of rogue clans known for Omega stealing, and only venturing into settlements when necessary. Both boys had grown up strong and wary of most Alphas. Neither of them had ever been with an Alpha, preferring Betas even during heats. It was too risky that they could end up in a forced mating. Although both wanted children, until they each found an Alpha worthy, or a place to settle, it was not to be. Which meant at 26 and 22 years old and unmated, both Omegas were a rarity._

 

 

Dean woke to the sound of banging on the door of the room. Alert within seconds, he grabbed a blade from his boot and slid from the bed low to the ground and peered through the cracked, filthy window to see who was outside, knowing without even looking that Sam was already reaching for a weapon.

John stood there patiently in the fading light, knowing he had taught his sons better than to open the door before checking.

“It's Dad” sighed Dean, relieved, relaxing his posture and moving to open the door. Sam rose from his bed to stand with Dean as the door opened and John marched in, eyeing the packed bags by the door.

“All packed and ready I see, well done boys.” Said John proudly, gripping both boys by a shoulder and smiling “Supplies are in the car, lets get these bags loaded and we'll hit the road.” he said, reaching for the bags.

 “Where to this time, Dad?” enquired Sam pulling on a jacket over his large frame before stashing his favourite knife in the lining.

“We're gonna stop at Bobby's for a week or so to stock up on dry goods and get a rundown of possible rogue clan movements, then Rufus knows of a place in the wilds that has an intact fishing cabin we can hole up in for winter. The roads will be impassible by mid-November until March with the winter snows. So, there should be no clan movement up there. We should be good until Spring.” said John as he checked the bags quickly before swinging one up on his shoulder as Dean and Sam did the same.

 

The three Winchesters climbed into the car and headed off into the night, none of them bothering to look back.

 

                                                                                                                       

 

Castiel sighed with satisfaction and looked out proudly over his greatest accomplishment. Up here in the mountains, food and medicine were hard to come by. Trading with other clans only brought in so much when there were few natural resources and the clan had struggled previously. Castiel had been given the job of improving stocks and supplies, a task that most of the clan had expected him to fail. He had jumped at the chance and had improved the food supply to the point that they had a surplus for trading.

His approach had been novel in that he had encouraged the Betas and Omegas to help him turn the barren landscape surrounding the settlement into several small holdings, each responsible for growing specific crops or raising animals. Large greenhouses built from scavenged glass, taken from the abandoned cities or towns, protected the crops from the harsh frosts that would have destroyed them otherwise. Some crops were still impossible to grow here, but what they could grow, they traded with the settlements on the plains for the food and medicine they needed.

He had also improved trading relations with the plains settlements and had personally brokered deals that ensured a mutually beneficial outcome. He had a reputation as a tough, but fair negotiator. In just 5 years he had improved the clan's status from near starvation to the wealthiest clan in the region in regards to resources.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, feeling the late autumn sun on his face and took a deep breath of fresh mountain air. Enjoying the peace and relative quiet.

A peace and quiet that was shattered rudely when a voice behind him demanded his attention.

“Castiel! Michael wants to see you. One of the plains clans was raided yesterday, they fought them off, but Lucifer's second in command was seen leading the attack. Michael wants all the Alphas in an emergency war council in case he decides to look here instead.”

Uriel, one of Castiels closest friends and an Alpha stood a few feet away. His calm exterior belying the seriousness of the situation.

Castiel switched from relaxed to battle ready in an instant and fired off multiple questions.

“Which settlement? Were there any casualties? Do they have any new information on the rogue clan?” He almost growled, his voice, so deep and rough already, became even more so as his protective instincts flared.

Uriel sighed and rubbed one hand over his brow. “Michael will tell us what we need to know, Castiel. It would be unwise to keep him waiting.” He turned and began to walk towards the settlement proper.

 

Castiel took one last longing look at the scenery before following Uriel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, it's me again! *waves*
> 
> Thank you so much for your comments and kudos! They made my poor geeky heart grow three sizes and got me through a rough week health wise. (Note to self, remember to take scheduled meds like, on schedule, or bad stuff happens)
> 
> I really struggled with this chapter, I had to edit out a lot of descriptive stuff (turns out I'm a details whore, who knew?) because it slowed down the flow of the story. Plus, the chapter was getting too big and was a little clunky in places. I hope I got it right, I edited it from my sickbed so...yeah. 
> 
> *awkward pause* Anyway, here's chapter two!

** Chapter Two. **

 

 

Bobby Singer liked the quiet life. He liked his porch where he would sit in his old rocker of an evening, drinking a home brew or some of his semi-famous moonshine and contemplating. He liked his office, chock full of books from before the collapse, a stockpile of lost information (He had learned damn near everything he knew from these books). He liked his engineering shed, tinkering away at pre-collapse technology until he knew how it worked and could replicate it if needed. He liked his impressive collection of salvage, old cars and technology piled high in an organised chaos that only Bobby truly understood.

 But Bobby _loved_ the Winchester boys like they were his own. After losing his mate, he had never even contemplated taking another mate, so had lost hope for children. The boys helped fill that gap. It wasn't unusual, most Alphas who took a true mate would remain alone if the Omega died, if they survived the bond break, that is.

Bobby had a theory that it was why forced matings were so prevalent. After all, an Omega dying after a forced mating, would have no physical affect on the Alpha. It may be upsetting, even devastating, but it wouldn't possibly _kill_ the Alpha. Of course it wasn't the _only_ reason for forced matings, but it was a partial explanation. He often wondered why it was different for Omegas, they didn't suffer the same physical reaction when the Alpha died. Maybe one day someone would figure it out, probably long after his time.

Bobby ambled across the yard to the side of the house, pulling a large flat bed trolley of firewood ready to be stacked in the woodshed. Getting ready for winter seemed to be a full time job during autumn. Mentally taking stock of the supplies he would still need, he began unloading and stacking the firewood according to size in the shabby, but sturdy lean-to that served as a woodshed, only half filled at this point. It would take him a couple more weeks to ensure a plentiful supply of fuel for the coming winter. His food stocks were in pretty good shape, he would have to hunt some game and preserve it to round out his supplies, but his crops had been plentiful this year and the rows of mason jars and sacks and barrels of dried goods filled the shelves of his pantry in the basement. He had done some good trading this year, one of the settlements had managed to grow enough wheat to trade a surplus and they had desperately needed a water filter, something Bobby could put together with his eyes closed, so now Bobby would have bread this winter.

Bobby finished stacking the firewood and looked up at the sky, the sun well on it's way to setting, a glorious sunset just beginning. He walked to the other side of his house towards the animal pens, it would probably be a good idea to start putting them inside the small barn for the night. The cold weather would be here soon and the winters could be harsh in this part of the country. He petted one of the nanny goats who playfully butted his hip as he leaned up against the enclosure, scratching her under the chin as she bobbed her head with pleasure. He smiled into his beard and murmured praise at her antics.

The distant sound of an engine had Bobby on alert immediately and marching to his porch where his shotgun rested upright against the front step.  
He breathed a sigh of relief as the car came into view, pulling into the long driveway and he recognised the occupants, the Winchesters.

Furious barking came from inside the back of the house as Rumsfeld, Bobby's gigantic Rottweiler was finally alerted to visitors and bounded outside to investigate, still barking. Bobby chuckled, the damn dog had probably been sleeping in front of the wood burning stove in the kitchen again instead of doing his job as a guard dog. Better late than never he supposed as he raised a hand in greeting.

 

An hour later found them all at the kitchen table, enthusiastically digging into chicken and potatoes, whilst Rumsfeld snored and drooled on Dean's feet. The wood burning stove and hurricane lanterns casting a soft light and a gentle warmth through the room.

“So, Bobby” said Dean, around a huge mouthful of potato “got anything interesting out in that salvage yard of yours?” ignoring the disgusted looks he got from his father and brother about his appalling table manners.

“It's _all_ interesting, boy. Not just the useful bits. Some of the other stuff has a history we can only guess at. I like trying to figure out what that is.” said Bobby, smiling into his beard, before adding wryly “if you promise to close yer mouth when you chew for the rest of this meal, I'll take you out there tomorrow and we can have a look for anything that takes yer fancy” Dean had the decency to blush when John and Sam laughed outright as Bobby continued, muttering “Damn' boy looks like one of my goats chewin' on a dandelion”. Sam was still shaking with silent laughter as Dean frowned and John snorted into his beer.

“Keep laughing Sammy, I dare you. You'll wake up tomorrow with no fuckin' eyebrows” sneered Dean, stabbing the chicken on his plate viciously.

“Yeah, yeah. Heard it all before. You won't do it, 'coz Dad would kick your ass, after I did.” Sam taunted back, pointing his fork at Deans face, clearly not intimidated by his older brother or his threats.

“I'll kick both your asses if you don't shut up and both at least pretend you are civilised, I know I didn't raise you boys to be so rude in someone else's home.” said John putting his beer back on the table and fixing both brothers with a look.

“Sorry, Bobby.” mumbled Dean as Sam looked abashed and also mumbled an apology. Both boys turning to the food again, with remarkably improved manners from Dean.

“Can you imagine if Mary or Karen were here? They'd kick all our asses. No doubt about that.” remarked John to Bobby with a chuckle.

“Damn straight they would. Holy cow, Karen had a way about her, could put me in my place without a word. When I messed up, all she had to do was give me that look, disappointed and devastated all at once, and I was a wreck.”

Bobby looked wistful for a second as John chimed in

“Oh. I remember _that_ look. Mary did the same thing. Her scent would be all off too and I'd be grovelling at her feet for forgiveness before I knew it.” He paused before continuing “She only kicked my ass for real once though, d'ya remember Bobby?”

Both Alphas chuckled at the memory as Sam and Dean looked on eager and curious, they loved it when their father talked about their mother.

“Oh boy, do I remember that. Funniest thing I saw in my whole damn life!” laughed Bobby, leaning back in his chair, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“What happened?” said Sam, a half smile on his face and beer halfway to his lips. Dean looked up from cutting his chicken in decidedly smaller pieces than before “Yeah Dad, I wanna hear this” he said eagerly.

John sipped his beer thoughtfully, before putting it down and looking at both boys.

“Your mama was the sweetest person I ever met. She was so kind and gentle, but no pushover either. One day, I clear forgot to lock the back gate and the goats got in and destroyed her herb garden. She relied on those herbs to make medicines. Including some kind of tea to sooth morning sickness, she was pregnant with you, Dean.” said John, gesturing at Dean with the beer in his hand. “Those goats tore up everything they didn't eat, she was furious.” He grimaced and continued “I might have gotten away with a tongue lashing, but she looked so damn cute when she was angry, I couldn't help myself and got this big goofy grin on my face.”

John mimicked a starry eyed grin and continued “All she saw was the destruction of her garden, including the one thing that stopped her feeling so miserable from morning sickness, and here was the culprit, standing and grinning at her like a moron.”

Everyone chuckled at the image and John continued

“She _snapped_. She kicked my ass up and down that garden, throwing anything she could pick up in my direction,when she couldn't reach me to whack me that is. The noise attracted people from the other side of the settlement, it was such a ruckus. So the entire settlement watched your mama beat my ass as I whimpered like a beaten dog. I had no sympathy from anyone. They were all relying on your mama's medicines too. But the ass whoopin' I got from her was bad enough that it stopped anyone else thinking about kicking my ass, they figured I'd been punished enough.”

He smiled and sipped his beer as Bobby added mischievously “Didn't you nail that gate shut after that?”

“You're God-damn right I did.” said John with no embarrassment whatsoever and everyone at the table burst into loud laughter.

“So mom was a bad-ass then?” said Sam, still giggling a little, eyes shining. “Your mother was _most definitely_ a bad-ass” John confirmed with a nod and a smile.

“Wow, go mom.” said Dean fondly.

 

 

 

Castiel leaned against the wall at the back of the room, arms crossed over his chest trying to be unobtrusive, listening to the other Alphas of the clan arguing and posturing. He didn't want to be here, no-one was listening to anyone else, just shouting over each other. He never bothered to join in, someone would inevitably bring up his status as an Alpha with no Omegas and allude to Castiel being “unable to perform”. Then others would join in until the entire clan would be jeering at him. It didn't matter what he said, they would mock him for never taking an Omega. He didn't want to _take_ an Omega. He wanted a true mating. Someone who loved him, not someone who was bound by biology.

His past relationships had all been with Betas, the Omegas in the clan were either related to him or slaves to an Alpha. He shuddered at the thought of raiding a settlement or trading for an Omega. It turned his stomach that the other Alphas in his clan didn't even see Omegas as people. Just a wet hole to fuck and breed. Betas were only just above them in status, being worthless for breeding they were given the donkey work of the clan. His clan didn't raid, but they did trade. They truly thought it was more _civilised_. To buy a human being as if they were a commodity, was _civilised_.

The whole clan knew of his views, they called him weak because of it. His older brother Gabriel had felt the same then as he did now, he had also been mocked. Right up until the day he had left the clan. Castiel had only been a child then, too young to understand fully. But he understood now. He only stayed to try and make the Omegas and Betas lives a little better. So they knew that at least one Alpha wasn't an dick. He would take all the jeering and mockery so that he could offer them what little protection he could provide. He wished Gabriel had done the same, but he had abandoned them and run away instead.

Michaels voice rose above the noise of the crowd, calling the meeting to order. The arguments died down and there were hushed voices and the scuffling of feet as everyone found a seat or a place to lean. Looking up at where Michael stood on the mezzanine floor of the clan meeting house. Eventually silence fell and Michael began to speak.

“Good evening, brothers. I have confirmation that Azazel led an attack on the River clan, he was identified by an Alpha that lost his first-born Omega to a raid by Azazel on a settlement he lived in previously. The River clan managed to deter the attack, with no casualties. Which leads me to believe that the rogue clan may try again, on one of the other plains clans or even here. It's also possible that it was an attack designed to test the River clans defences, in order to plan a real attack with a larger force.” He paused to look around the room, eyes hard and cold.

“I need a review of our defences, weapons and able bodied fighters. I also want a comprehensive list of our supplies and an estimate of the last of the harvest yet to be gathered. I will excuse you all from your usual duties for tomorrow, in order to bring me the information by tomorrow evening. I have assigned you all a specific task, the list will be handed out after the meeting.”

Michael stepped forward placing his hands on the railing and turned his icy gaze back to the room.

“I also want a list of the un-mated Omegas in the clan. It almost goes without saying that they are what the rogue clan is really after. With winter almost upon us, they will be gunning for our food stocks and medical supplies. But they really want the Omegas. They cannot be allowed to take what is ours.” With that he abruptly stalked away to talk quietly to another Alpha, Raphael, who had been standing off to one side throughout the entire speech.

Everyone began talking at once and the noise was deafening, when as one the crowd moved forward to inspect the list being nailed to a post by Ezekiel, Michaels eldest Alpha son.

Castiel scowled as he went over the speech in his head, Michael was probably right in his assumptions on the rogue clan, and his security review was wise. But the way he had talked about the Omegas as if they were just another commodity, like the medical supplies or food stocks had his jaw clenching in anger.

He pushed off the wall and made his way slowly through the crowd towards the list, already guessing what his duties would be, but needing confirmation nonetheless.

Finally standing in front of the list, he confirmed his duties for the next day and began to make his way out of the clan meeting house.

“Castiel!” someone called over the crowd and he turned to identify the voice. “Castiel! Over here!”

He spotted Ezekiel waving at him from the bottom of the stairs to the mezzanine and raised a hand in greeting and began to make his way over.

“What can I do for you, Ezekiel?” said Castiel, puzzled as to what he could possibly want.

“Not me, Castiel. My father wants to speak with you in private. He has something to discuss with you... and, no, before you ask, I don't know what it is. He's waiting for you upstairs.” Ezekiel smiled and gestured for Castiel to go up the staircase.  
Castiel frowned as he worried about what Michael wanted to discuss with him, he nodded to Ezekiel and began to ascend the stairs, his feet like lead.

 

Michael turned from talking to Raphael and smiled as Castiel approached, the smile not meeting his eyes, making him look calculating and fake. “Castiel, I'm glad you could join us. Please, sit with us” he gestured to a table with several maps laid out on it and took a seat as Castiel did the same.

“How can I help?” said Castiel, his deep voice dipping even lower as he tilted his head in confusion as to the contents of the table.

“Brother, I have been watching you for a while now, and I am impressed with your dedication and work ethic. You have reason to be proud.” Michael said smiling. “I'm only disappointed that you still have no Omegas, I once again urge you to take at least one. It would be the making of you, I'm sure.” he added. Castiel tried not to vomit at the thought.

“I'm sure you will eventually, so I have refrained from pushing too hard. But.. this is not about that.”

Michael leaned forward and focused his gaze. “Castiel, you have a mind for tactics and strategy, you have made our clan successful enough to trade for many Omegas these past few years.” Castiel baulked in horror at that, he had just been trying to feed his people, not bankroll slavery. The thought made him die inside.

Michael continued, oblivious to Castiels misery. “I have a project I want you to put that strategic brain of yours to work on.” He gestured to the maps on the table.

 

“I want you to find Lucifer's settlement.”

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Look! *gestures expansively* A whole chapter! Only two months late. *grins sheepishly*  
> Long story short, I dislocated both arms in a freak accident. Sooo, pretty much anything was out of the question for a while. Barring anymore freak accidents (entirely possible with me, I assure you) this story should be back on a regular posting schedule. 
> 
> This chapter is kinda fluffy, but contains some stuff that will set up the main story, which will kick up a gear in the next couple of chapters. Don't worry, Cas and Dean will meet soon, they just have to go through some angst first. This story is going to be kinda massive, so plenty of Destiel to come. And some angst. And some fluff. Aaaand yes, eventually smut. *tries to pretend to be cool about writing smut while sweating nervously*

**Chapter Three.**

 

John could see the deer hiding in the undergrowth, it's breath visible in the cold autumn morning air. He slowly moved into position on the platform above the forest floor, mindful of spooking the animal and losing his prey. He lined up his shot, aiming for the spot just below the ear that would finish the animal quickly and cleanly. He took a steadying breath and on the exhale, fired. The deer dropped almost soundlessly, dead instantly. Smaller animals scattered and birds took to the air as the sound of the shot echoed through the forest. John looked over at where Bobby was similarly situated, on another platform further downstream and gave a thumbs up to confirm the kill. Bobby returned the thumbs up and made ready to climb down and help with the carcass. John did the same.

They worked efficiently, stripping the carcass and salting it, before wrapping the meat and tying it off to the poles they would use to carry the large carcass out of the forest. Shouldering the poles, they began the march back out of the forest. John leading, occasionally pointing out uneven ground or stray rocks to Bobby, preventing him from tripping.

Finally reaching the dirt track where Bobby had parked his truck, they both breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly loaded the deer carcass onto the flat bed and covered it with a tarp. Bobby leaned against the side of the truck unscrewing the lid of the flask he carried everywhere and took a swig before holding it out to John, who accepted it gratefully.

“Pulled down a lot of game this past few days, more than enough for winter for all of us, if you change your mind and decide to stay.” said Bobby as he watched John take a deep gulp from the flask.

“Bobby, I'm real grateful for your offer, but your place attracts visitors. You keep everyone informed of rogue clan movements, that means you get info from all types. Not the types I want around my boys. The only way I've kept 'em safe so far is by keeping our heads down and moving before interest can be stirred up with the wrong people.” John sighed and ran a hand down his face, before continuing. “I don't like it either, but it's better than the alternative. If anyone from a rogue clan heard about the two male Omegas at your place, we'd all have targets painted on our backs. I'll die before I see my boys as slaves. We'll trade the extra meat for dry stores and me and the boys will head out to Rufus's cabin before the snow hits. Only we know about it, so we should be safe for the winter.”

Bobby sighed but nodded in agreement, patting John on the shoulder he said “You can't keep running forever John. Those boys want families and a home. They will never get that on the road. I kinda get why you don't want them to stay at mine, although it's unwarranted, I'd die to keep 'em safe, you know that, but you should find somewhere. Just think about it.”

John nodded and stepped back and began to secure the tailgate as Bobby made the rifles safe and stored them behind the seats in the cab. They both checked their handguns and secured them inside their jackets. Also checking that the various knives they kept secreted about their person were easily accessible but not visible. Knowing from experience that you can never be too careful or too armed. They hauled themselves into the cab of the truck and made for Bobby's home.

 

 

Dean had dragged himself out of bed at first light, his father and Bobby had left the previous week to hunt game for trading and winter stores, so he only had to worry about feeding himself and Sam. Bobby had a large selection in his stores, and Dean had taken inventory for Bobby a few days prior, so he had a good idea of what he could throw together for breakfast.

He rushed through his chores, collecting the eggs, feeding all the animals, and drawing water from the cast iron pump in the kitchen. He began to scramble the eggs and bake the flat bread on the wood burning stove. Keeping one eye on the kettle of water he was boiling to make the herbal tea for Sam. Poor Sam was in heat, it was coming to the end of this cycle, so he was tired and a little dehydrated. The tea helped to ease the symptoms. Dean had already had his heat less than a month ago, so he sympathised. Sammy would be starving, so in addition to the eggs and bread, Dean added some of the cured ham from Bobby's pantry to the plates he had already set at the table. He poured the boiling water over the pot of herbs to allow them the steep for a little while and served up the rest of the food before going upstairs to rouse Sam.

  
“Sammy!” Dean called through the door to Sam's room. “Hey bud, I made you some breakfast and some tea. It's sitting on the table waiting for you.” He paused waiting for Sam's reply

“Thanks dude” Sam's sleepy voice barely carried through the door “I'll be right down”

Satisfied, Dean went back down to the kitchen, snagging a piece of boiled ham from his plate, he stuffed it into his mouth and carried on over to the sideboard where he had left the herbs to steep, he took a piece of weighted linen and draped it over a mug and poured the herbal mixture through it to strain the herbs out. Placing the pot back on the sideboard he took the linen from the mug, putting it aside for now and added some honey from the pot stored on the shelf above the sideboard, he stirred it as he walked back to the table, placing it next to Sam's plate just as Sam walked into the kitchen yawning wide and scratching his belly through his shirt.

“Mornin' Sammy. How you feelin'?” said Dean, smiling and taking his seat at the table.

“Ugh, like hammered crap. You know how it is, tired, sweaty, and itchy. I dunno why some Alphas still think Omegas are like sex crazed ninja zombies when we're in heat. I just want to nap in a cold bath for the entire week. The last thing I feel like doing is chasing and pinning some 'poor defenceless Alpha'. I mean, yeah, it'd be nice to have someone, but they'd have to do all the work. I feel too lazy to do much of anything when I'm in heat.” said Sam tiredly, slumping into his chair and reaching for his tea.

“Yeah, same” said Dean with a chuckle then put on a falsetto voice and batted his eyelashes and waved his hands around “ _Alpha, I need your knot! Knot me Alpha! I'm insane with lust!_ ” he chuckled and continued in his normal voice “The only Alphas that think that, are the Alphas that have never got their knot wet. Anyone else knows Omegas in heat don't go crazy. Cranky, yes. Crazy, no.” Both boys giggled and began to tuck into the meal on the table.

“So, are you feeling up to doing anything today? I've done most of the chores, I promised Bobby I'd go through some of the salvage on the west side of the yard. He got some pre-collapse stuff in a trade a few weeks ago and hasn't gone through it yet. I can do that today, unless you still need me? I can do it tomorrow instead?” said Dean as he ripped off a piece of flat bread and stuffed it in his mouth.

“Nah, I'm feeling better today. Heats almost over, but I don't quite feel up to doing anything outside yet. I'll go through that box of papers in the library. I can wrap myself in a blanket, sit on the couch and nerd out all I want and still be useful. I've been curious about those papers since we got here.” Sam said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. “I'm feeling a bit grungy though. A bath would be heaven right now.” he closed his eyes and moaned at the thought and then looked at Dean with pleading eyes.

“No problem, Sammy. I'll drag out the bath and put it in here after we've eaten. It won't take long to heat some water on the stove. I'll do that, while you go grab the laundry. I'd better do some of that before Dad gets back. That'll take us up to lunch, then we'll go do the other stuff we talked about, okay?” said Dean with a smile. Sam nodded and returned Dean's smile gratefully.

 

They finished breakfast and cleaned the dishes before each of them left the kitchen to begin the discussed chores. Sam stripping the bedclothes and emptying the laundry hampers and piling everything up on the concrete floor of the scrub room off the kitchen. Two large tubs sat in the middle of the room, next to a mangle. Drying rails were fixed all around the room, some with linens already draped over them. As Sam dropped the last of the laundry down and began to sort it, Dean walked in carrying a pot of steaming water.

“Don't worry about that Sam, I'll do that. Your bath is nearly ready. Just go grab yourself some clean clothes and dump the ones you're wearing in here. The bath water is pretty tepid. I figured you didn't need it hot right now.” said Dean, pouring the pan of steaming water into the laundry tub and adding a couple of handfuls of shaved soap. Sam gave Dean a grateful look and lumbered off to get ready for his bath and Dean returned to the kitchen, intent on his task of heating enough water on the stove top for the laundry.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Sam looking comical in the bathtub that was clearly too small for his large frame, his knees virtually up by his ears. He bickered good-naturedly with Dean as he went to and fro with pans of water. Finally satisfied he was clean he climbed out, towelled his still sensitive skin dry and dressed himself in his most comfortable clothes. Dean was now using the mangle to wring out as much moisture from the wet clothes as he could before draping them over the drying rails. Sam leant against the door frame watching Dean wrestle a bed sheet into submission over a rail slightly too short for the sheet.

“Make yourself useful, Sammy. Open the windows for me? Get some airflow in here, so this lot will dry nicely. I don't want it to still be damp tomorrow and start stinkin' up the joint.” said Dean without looking over his shoulder at Sam.

Sam jumped, not realising Dean even knew he was there. But moved to do as Dean asked.

“Do you want me to make lunch, Dean? We've got some more flat bread and I could grab some of that apple chutney you like from the pantry to go with some more of the boiled ham? Sound good?” said Sam, finger combing his wet hair off his face.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks, Sammy. That does sound good.” replied Dean, turning to start emptying the wash tub. Sam busied himself making lunch as Dean emptied the bath tub, putting it away just in time for Sam to serve lunch, he'd even poured them both a beer.

“Awww! Thanks man! I'm so glad Dad didn't listen when I asked for a pony instead of a brother.” joked Dean as he sat at the table. “Asshat.” said Sam, grinning at his brother as he too sat down.

 

Several hours later found both boys completely absorbed by their chosen tasks. Sam had indeed found the box of papers intriguing. Some of the yellowed and fragile files were hundreds of years old and dated from before the collapse. Almost going back to the beginning of the A/B/O virus itself. Some of the files were mundane and were possibly some kind of accounting records, but others were files of reports on the virus itself, including newspaper clippings and even medical journal articles. For Sam, this was nirvana. Most of the stories of before the collapse had been handed down through the successive generations and sounded frankly, implausible. Having pre-collapse first hand reports was like manna from heaven. Sam couldn't wait to share his findings with Bobby, who would be just as excited as he was. Even Dean and his father would be interested enough to actually pay attention for once.

 

Dean was similarly absorbed in his findings. He had even found a few engineering manuals in amongst the seemingly random pieces of machinery and resolved to read them later. He had found some items that would be ideal for the car. The first being a CB radio. He knew his father would be over the moon about that one. Contact with settlements for them was sporadic at best and at worst, non existent. With a CB radio, they could be warned ahead of time of possible rogue clan movements and plan accordingly. Of course, Bobby's own CB radio range only went so far. Dean pondered on that for a while, he had some ideas on boosting the range of both radios. It would help Bobby's network immensely if a  _radio_ network were established and reduce the need for informants risking long journeys to get Bobby information that could very well be out of date by the time it was received. Dean planned to discuss it with Bobby and his father as soon as possible. They would be back any day now.

 

 

Castiel rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and yawned. For the last week or so he had studied every piece of information he had on Lucifer's clan. He'd interviewed witnesses to previous clan raids, plotting out recent raids on a map on the wall of the room in the clan house he'd commandeered for the purpose of his investigation. He could see a pattern forming, it was still somewhat nebulous, but something was there. He had already established that the raids were definitely not random. They were planned meticulously. Striking just at the right time, just after a harvest or during spring heats. Omegas always got their very first heat in the spring. The very first heat wasn't a true heat, they were not actually fertile until their second heat in autumn. But it signalled to the Alphas that the Omega was ready for mating and courting could begin. A raid on a settlement in spring guaranteed the new Omegas would be taken, as they would be un-mated, more horrifyingly some of the immature Omegas were taken. Some were still children. He shuddered.

From the witness's he had questioned, the raids were carried out with military precision. Sentries killed before an alarm could be raised, only select items of value were taken. Even the food stores were not stripped completely. Only the homes of those with new Omegas were raided, only those who resisted were killed. The raiders took great pains to cover their tracks, even resorting to taking their dead with them, or killing themselves if captured, before they could be questioned.

Castiel suddenly realised that the raiders _wanted_ to leave survivors. They _wanted_ the settlements to rebuild. They treated the raids as _farming_.

He looked at the map on the wall again. Willing the pattern to reveal itself. He was missing something, it niggled at the back of his mind, but try as he might, it would not come forward. He needed more information. He needed sleep.

He sighed and decided to sleep on it, in the morning he'd go over everything again.

 

The sun was well over the horizon when he woke up with a start. He'd finally realised what had been niggling him. Witnesses hadn't said anything about vehicles! They must have vehicles to transport the Omegas and goods back to their settlement, but none of the witnesses had mentioned seeing or hearing even a single car or truck. Castiel realised he needed to look at it a different way. He'd assumed the clan used the decrepit road network. He silently scolded himself for his stupid assumption.

He needed to look at a topographical map right away to confirm his suspicions.

 

Twenty minutes later he was in the clan house studying the only topographical map they had. It didn't cover the entire area he wanted, but enough of it for his purposes. It was far more accurate though and showed a lot more detail. He marked the settlements on the map and realised they had something in common.

They were nearby the Colorado river or one of it tributaries.

Lucifers clan were using boats.

He shook his head. No wonder they left no tracks and made no sound. The reason he hadn't put it together was the larger map didn't show the more minor tributaries. Now he knew how they were travelling, he had a fair idea of where they were. He groaned when he realised Michael would not take it well.

He opened the door and signalled to one of Michael's subordinates. A tiny beta woman.

“Tell Michael to come when he is able. I have news for him.” said Castiel quietly. The beta nodded and scurried off towards Michael's quarters.

Castiel cleared off most of the desk and laid the map out flat, pinning down the edges with weights. Michael would want evidence, so Castiel organised the stack of witness statements and his own notes into neat piles and laid them down next to the map. Satisfied, Castiel stood the other side of the desk and waited for Michael to appear. He didn't have to wait long, Michael burst in the door looking eager, rubbing his hands together.

“Castiel! You have news, I hear. I'm surprised, I know you have worked yourself tirelessly on this task, but I didn't think it would be this quick. I see my faith in you was not displaced. This pleases me.” said Michael, his pleasure showing on his face for once.

“Yes, well. You may not be happy when you hear what I have to say.” said Castiel, blandly.

“Out with it, Castiel.” said Michael, his tone taking on it's usual coldness, his posture stiffening.

“I know where Lucifer is.” Castiel said, gesturing to the map.

“Oh, how is that going to make me unhappy?” said Michael, in confusion.

“He's somewhere in the Grand Canyon. It's the only place he could hide so effectively” said Castiel, his expression bleak. A few seconds passed.

“Oh.” said Michael, realization dawning.

“He's a damn genius.” he said grudgingly, rubbing his temples in frustration “He could be anywhere in there, the river will obviously be watched, so approach by boat will be impossible and searching on foot will take months, even if the scouts aren't discovered” Michael said bitterly as he sagged and dropped into the nearest chair.

“Exactly” Castiel said sadly.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! I managed to get a chapter out ON TIME. Go me!  
> *does happy dance* YAY!  
> *trips and injures self* Well, shit.
> 
> I'm loving that people are still reading this, thank you for your comments and kudos. They keep me going when I feel like giving up. My poor, fragile ego needs constant validation or it turns on me like a wild animal.   
> This chapter is the last of the fluff we'll see for a while. So enjoy it while it lasts. Next chapter is where I start punishing you.

**Chapter 4**

 

It had been a strange reunion when the Alphas had returned from hunting. Both boys had been eager to share their discoveries and the Alphas had barely got in the door before they were overwhelmed with the chattering and bickering Omegas. Bobby had had to yell at them before they calmed down and decided to play Rock/paper/scissors for the chance to share first. Sam won (“ Oh Dean, always with the scissors”) and after dinner, shared what he had discovered. The files he had found were indeed interesting. 

 

_ The A/B/O virus had been the result of an accident. Someone had been trying to bring back some extinct species of animals. They had manipulated the DNA in order to breed these animals in a related species as a host. To manipulate the DNA, they had engineered a virus that would penetrate and change the DNA of a fertilised ovum from within. They were successful and bred several previously extinct animals back into existence. Before they could pat themselves on the back however, they realised that many of the subjects bred were infertile. Unable to work out what had gone wrong, they opened up their research to other scientists in an attempt to solve the problem.  _

_ The virus was engineered further by less scrupulous scientists and somehow it made the jump to Humans. It swept the globe within months, non-fatal and with symptoms no worse than a mild flu, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief at dodging a bullet.  _

 

_ They had jumped the gun again. _

 

_ Pretty soon after, they discovered birth defects in some children born after the virus. They at first thought them to be hermaphrodites of some kind, but investigation revealed them to be more than that, they had a full secondary gender. More so, the children born with the “defects” were the only ones who were fertile. True hermaphrodites were sterile. All children were tested, distinctions began to emerge, and were labelled Alpha, Omega and Beta. Betas were by far the largest group, but completely infertile. For some reason, the secondary genders were null in them. Alpha and Omega children could be either sex, but only the secondary gender could procreate.  _

_ Finally realising the extent of the problem, governments panicked. Dropping birth rates could lead to the end of the species, so laws were relaxed to allow for human experimentation. It was a dark time and many terrible deeds were done in desperation. Nothing was found that would reverse or prevent the effects and trying just created even more terrible birth defects.  _

_ Each successive generation was smaller than the one before, economies crumbled, cities lay virtually empty. With no infrastructure, society collapsed, a cure would not be found. _

 

Sam had explained his findings to a rapt audience. None of them had heard about the virus or the collapse in such detail before. It had left them all feeling a little shaken without even really knowing why they felt that way. Even Sam, who had known all this beforehand, looked glum.

Eventually Dean had broken the shocked silence by declaring they all could do with a strong drink, no-one disagreed.

 

To distract everyone from the melancholy mood that had overtaken them, Dean had eventually got around to explaining his ideas to Bobby and John, who had been delighted and enthused at Deans ideas of strengthening the network. Even offering some ideas of their own. Getting word out to the rest of the network would be easy for Bobby. He had the contacts after all, and could pass on plans for friendly settlements to build their own radios. John thought the trip out to the cabin would be a good test of the range of the radio. 

So the next day, to take their minds off what Sam had uncovered in his research, they had all begun the construction of a radio tower and a wind turbine to power it. After all, Bobby's old wind up radio would not cut it at the range they wanted, he had only used it locally before now. 

By the following week, construction was done and the Winchesters had installed the CB radio in the car. 

John then became restless, the roads would not be clear for much longer and he wanted to secure Rufus's cabin for winter before it snowed. So they had packed up Bobby's spare box trailer with goods for winter, attached it to the car and had left at first light on a cold late October morning, headed for the cabin. 

 

They were now two days out from Bobby's and only a few more miles from the cabin. Already John could see the lake, the water looked grey and cold. The cold breeze whipping the surface. The forest surrounding the lake a mixture of evergreens and the red and gold of autumn. The early morning light muted slightly by the low heavy cloud that concealed the tops of the hills in the distance. 

John took one hand off the wheel to shake Dean awake, his head cradled in the crook of his arm against the passenger side window.

“Mgrntr” muttered Dean, before instantly falling asleep again. John chuckled and swerved the car just enough to dislodge Dean from his sleeping position, which also woke Sam who was stretched out snoring like a wounded bear in the back. Both boys started awake before loudly protesting the rough treatment and rude awakening.

John laughed and shouted over them “Alright..alright! Stop bitching. I thought you'd want to know that we're almost there, the track leading to the cabin is only a couple of miles away, the road is pretty rough. We may have to guide the car through the worst of it. So get some food and water in you. You might be filling in ruts so the car doesn't get stuck.” said John, keeping his eyes on the increasingly bad road. The boys were silent. 

“Good morning, by the way” he added with a smile.

Both boys grunted out a “Good morning” still annoyed at being woken so abruptly.

 

The cabin partly hung out over the lake. It was in fairly good repair, Rufus had discovered this place and fixed it up a few years previously. He had intended to live in it, but after his grandson was killed in a fight with another Alpha, he had moved to be with his daughter. It's stone walls and wood shingled roof blended into it's surroundings. Even the small dock was fairly unobtrusive.

Although the woodshed had partially collapsed, half of it crushed under a fallen tree. Chopped logs strewn everywhere. The three Winchesters took it all in as they stretched their cramped muscles after two days in the car. 

John turned to the boys and said quietly “Usual rules apply boys.” Both boys nodded and produced their guns, clicking off the safeties and falling in behind their father. They silently searched the cabin room by room, searching for intruders, past or present. The place was untouched, a layer of dust covered everything. Satisfied, John nodded and signalled for the boys to begin unpacking the box trailer while he tested the water pump. 

Several hours later they sat in the kitchen around the wood burning stove, cradling bowls of hot soup and making plans for the next day. John would hunt for fresh game, Sam would begin chopping firewood and fixing the woodshed and Dean would run some lines from the dock to catch fish and do any minor repairs that needed doing. This would be home for the next few months at least, they had to make it fit to live in through a long, cold winter. 

 

Dean was in his element. His nesting instincts finally allowed to run rampant. Within days, quilts began to appear over the back of the couches, small carved ornaments began to adorn surfaces and the cabin always smelled like fresh baking and happy Omega. Sam mocked him, but was just the same, he obsessively cleaned anything that would stay still long enough to let him and tended to the fire like it was a sickly child. The pantry was a constant bane to Sam's obsessive organisational skills, Dean liked to mess up Sam's 'system' on purpose just to aggravate him. 

Their small collection of books had pride of place on the shelf in the main living area, and the whole cabin had a clean and orderly atmosphere. Except for Sam and Dean's constant light-hearted bickering, it was peaceful.

John had relaxed a little and although he still slept with a gun under his pillow, he at least undressed for bed now, his boots tucked neatly at the end of the bed each night. 

As the days grew colder and the nights grew longer, the Winchesters would often be found at the kitchen table, chatting and playing card games, cleaning guns, whittling or discussing the latest news from Bobby. John would chat with Bobby over the radio every few days, reassuring himself of their safety.

The snow finally arrived, the lake froze over. Weeks passed in a happy haze. 

The Winchesters became almost content in the little paradise they had created, feeling safe for perhaps the first time in their lives.

 

 

Until John found a strangers footprints in the snow, not far from the cabin.

 

 

 

Castiel wiped the sweat from his face with the hem of his shirt, exposing his flat toned stomach and sharp hipbones. His face was pink from exertion and his limbs felt heavy. A lot of ground had been covered today. The climb he had just made had nearly wiped him out. He was positioned behind a boulder, on one knee, hunched down, peering out at the landscape. He and Balthazar had taken this section of the canyon to search and had so far been unsuccessful. There were no signs of nearby habitation.

 

_ They had only been searching for a week, Michael had declared the defence of the clan a priority. So the entire clan had mobilised to protect themselves. They had engineered rock slides to block possible pathways through the mountains, built watchtowers and began running drills. The entire clan had pulled back to the original walled village, and although accommodations were tight, it was a more defensible position. No-one expected a raid once the snows began, but Michael was taking no chances.  _

_ Once Michael was satisfied with the clans defences, he turned his full attention to finding Lucifer. No-one would be safe until his clan was destroyed. Michael had ordered Castiel to put a team together, to search the canyon. It would be delicate work, quite possibly a suicide mission. He had surprised everyone with his choices, he had included Betas as well as Alphas. When his choices were questioned, he simply answered that Alphas would be needed to defend the clan if anyone attacked. It was immediately accepted, but it wasn't Castiel's reasoning.  _

_ He had chosen the Betas for their individual skills. Balthazar was one of his best friends, and an excellent marksman. But he was constantly overlooked just because he was a Beta. Balthazar joked that it was useful that people underestimated him. Castiel secretly agreed.  _

_ He didn't even bother with trying to recruit Omegas, no matter their skills, Michael would never allow it. It was a shame, but he had to accept it.  _

_ The plan was to pinpoint the exact location of Lucifer's clan. Study the defences, define weak spots. _

_Stealth was paramount. No attacks were sanctioned. They could only fight to prevent capture if they were discovered, something Castiel wanted to avoid, if possible._

 

“Cassie, we should make camp. We're going to lose the light soon and we should rest.” Balthazar whispered from just behind Castiel. He nodded, pointing to an overhang just ahead. “There. We can see both sides of the bend in the river, but the overhang will prevent anyone noticing the fire.” he whispered back.

Balthazar adjusted his stance, peering at what Castiel was pointing at. “I agree, it's perfect. Let's hope no-one else thinks so.” he said, arching an eyebrow.

Castiel had also considered this, it  _ would _ be the perfect place to keep watch on the river, if the clan was nearby, they would be stupid not to utilise it. 

“I already thought of that.” he whispered. “but look” he pointed to animal tracks on the riverbank. “Those are mountain lion tracks. Only two days old. They avoid humans. If they had a watch established here, there is no way those tracks would be here. Mountain lions can smell humans from miles away.” He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at Balthazar, not above a little showing off.

“Alright, alright. Nobody likes a smart arse.” chuckled Balthazar, rolling his eyes. 

“Not true. I tolerate  _ you _ perfectly well.” Castiel shot back, face completely deadpan. 

“Yes, yes. I bow to your superior wit. Now, can we make camp? Or do you want to compare dick sizes next? I'll have you know, for a Beta, I'm rather blessed in that department.” snarked Balthazar, waving his hands dismissively.

Castiel snorted back a laugh, but nodded and signalled to his friend to move. “Everyone is well aware of your dick, Balthazar, how you haven't worn it down to a nub is a mystery to me.” said Castiel lowly, moving from behind the boulder and making for the overhang in a crouch. “Are you slut shaming me, Cassie?” joked Balthazar, crouch running to keep up as Castiel continually moved forward. “Calling it how I see it, Balthazar.” Castiel smiled as he turned around and patted his friend on the shoulder.

“You'd be right, in any case. I freely admit it. I've even had a ménage a – what's French for twelve?” he paused, then shrugged “No matter, my point is, I'll fuck anyone. I'm not fussy.” 

Balthazar paused looking thoughtful, then disgusted “Well, maybe not Uriel. Because, ew.” He looked at Castiel with mock shock on his face “Apparently I  _ do _ have standards. Who knew? I guess I'm growing as a person.” Balthazar finished his whispered rant with a smug look on his face.

Castiel had to smother his laugh into his elbow, tears pricking at his eyes and his shoulders shaking. “I'll be sure to let everyone know” he said dryly, when he managed to get himself under control.

“Don't you dare!” hissed Balthazar, looking scandalized. “You'll ruin my reputation.” 

Castiel rolled his eyes, but smiled at his friend. “As long as you don't sleep with an Omega, I don't think anyone cares.” he said seriously.

“Sleeping with an Omega? I'd have my favourite body part in a jar for the rest of my life if any of the Alphas found out. No thank you.” Balthazar shuddered 

“I'll stick to sleeping with all the lovely Betas. Much more my niche.” 

Castiel chuckled “So, no more Alphas for you then?” he asked without thinking, and then groaned, already regretting the question. 

“Are you offering, Cassie darling?” Balthazar asked sweetly. 

Castiel sighed, he _had_ dug this hole for himself. Then he grinned evilly “No, but I heard that Uriel likes you.” he snarked. 

Balthazar spluttered but recovered quickly “I would, but most of his dick went into his personality.” he said with a sigh. 

Castiel had to stifle his laugh again. Uriel was his friend, but Balthazar was right. Uriel was a dick.

They arrived at the overhang, it was partially obscured by dead trees washed there by past flash floods. They could see the high water mark on the rock on the canyon wall. Nowhere near the overhang. They would be okay to camp for the night.

In silence they set up camp, making the fire as small as possible. Cooking before sundown and extinguishing the fire before dark. There was no need to advertise that there were visitors in the canyon. They took turns keeping watch, wrapped in blankets as protection against the freezing temperature of the canyon at night. 

Tomorrow, they would push further west and even deeper into the canyon. They had a lot of ground to cover and with stealth being the priority, it would be slow work.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves* I'm back. Sorry for the delay, to make up for it, here is an extra long chapter. This chapter is a monster. Over 5000 words. Due to the subject matter, I felt it needed to be longer than normal.   
> I promised to punish you, I believe I have delivered. 
> 
> My faithful four legged shadow and my best friend, My dog Saphie, died yesterday. I'm devastated. I became almost completely deaf a few years ago and she helped me to overcome it. I was afraid of being alone in silence. She gave me confidence and unwavering support. I'm utterly lost without her.   
> If you have a pet, go hug them for me. Love on them as much as you can for as long as you can.

**Chapter five**

 

Sam was sat on the bench seat in the main room of the cabin. His face a mask of concentration, the tip of his tongue just peeking through his lips, as he focussed on stitching a denim patch inside the shoulders of the light woollen shirt he and Dean had made from the remnants of a blanket. 

Denim was hard to come by, and even the smallest pieces were hoarded to patch clothing. It was extremely durable but light enough to wear under other clothes and many un-mated Omegas wore it sewn inside their collars and shoulders to prevent an unwanted Alphas bite penetrating their clothing into the mating gland at the junction of neck and shoulder. It could buy valuable seconds in a fight. 

These days most people wore a mixture of home made natural fibre clothing, leather and pre-collapse clothing that had been preserved. Bobby ran a lucrative trade for pre-collapse items and had kept the Winchesters in comfortable clothes for many years. Even when Sam had grown to moose proportions. They all owned several pairs of jeans, they were patched and threadbare in places, but highly prized. 

Sam looked up at Dean who was in the kitchen area pouring soup from a large pan into several mason jars lined up on the counter. They would form the base for many meals to come. 

“That smells good.” Sam smiled as Dean looked up in surprise. “It's making me hungry, it must be nearly lunchtime by now” said Sam, hopefully. 

“Almost, Dad should be back any minute. He said he was going to check the access road. I think he wants to make sure we can get the car out if needs be.” said Dean, taking a quick look out of the window that looked over the front of the property. “Of course, that means he'll want me to check the car over to make sure she's in top notch condition.” Dean paused and looked over at Sam. “I'll make lunch, if you help me dig the snow out from around the car later?” he gave his best puppy eyed expression as Sam huffed a laugh. “Sure, as long as you make that seeded bread with honey that I like.” Sam knew when to make the most of a deal with his brother. “Deal, Sammy. Although we are out of hard cheese now to go with it. Unless you can find a goat or a cow around here somewhere, we're almost out of dairy completely.” said Dean, sadly. He really missed cheese. They had brought two giant wheels of cheese originally, but one had been destroyed when a jar had smashed on the journey from Bobby's. What they had managed to salvage had made good bait for fishing. 

Sam finished up with his sewing, inspecting the finished product with a little pride. Dean had finished up with his soup jars and was now scrubbing the soup pan in the sink. They looked up in concern as John burst into the cabin, locking the door behind him. They watched in trepidation as John marched upstairs to his room, not stopping to take off his snow covered boots. Trepidation turned to outright panic as John reappeared in the main room with his shotgun and crossbow, placing them on the kitchen table wordlessly, before racing back to his room to get his rifle. 

As John walked back into the main room, Dean said nervously “Uh, Dad. What's happening? You're kinda scaring us here.” Sam had moved to stand next to Dean, both boys trying to comfort the other subconsciously. 

John stopped and took a deep breath and looked at both boys for the first time since storming into the cabin. “Okay, I don't mean to scare you, but we should definitely worry.” John said gravely, picking up the shotgun and inspecting it. “I found some tracks just around the bend, I followed them. Whoever it was, has been watching us. The tracks go all around the cabin, just inside the tree line. They made an attempt to cover them up or disguise them. Not well though, probably thought it'd snow again before they were noticed.” John looked sick. 

“Fuck...” Dean breathed, as Sam ran a hand through his hair nervously. 

“What do you want to do Dad?” said Sam, fear creeping up his spine. 

“Ideally, I'd get us all in the car and not stop until we get to Bobby's. But the roads are still under several feet of snow. We are not going anywhere.” he loaded the shotgun and snapped it shut. “So, we prep for a siege.”

“Jesus fuckin' Christ Dad! I get that this is scary, but a  _ siege? _ ” said Dean, incredulously. Although he automatically checked his knives and his eyes flicked to the view outside the window.

“Yes, Dean. A siege. No-one goes anywhere alone. I want you boys in sight at all times. I want you armed. From now on, we sleep in shifts. I'll be moving a bed down into the main room. I want you and Sam to reinforce all of the windows and doors. I'll radio Bobby to warn of possible trouble.” John growled as he paced the floor, moving from window to window, constantly checking.

“If they've been watching us, we can assume they are hostile. Someone looking for help would have made contact. There was no scent, so they must have been out there last night and it's faded by now. The tracks led off in the opposite direction to the road, then out over the frozen lake. I'm assuming whoever it was, was a scout. They'll have gone to get the rest of the raiding party. They were sloppy, leaving tracks, which means either they are stupid, or they are confident they can take us. I'm not willing to bet on the former. ” 

John began to busy himself with the chest of weapons and ammo that stood in the centre of the sitting area, for the past couple of months it had served as a coffee table, but now it was back to business. 

Sam and Dean stood frozen for a few seconds before looking uneasily at each other and nodding. This was real. It was happening. They scrambled to check their own weapons and satisfied they were sufficient for now, began to secure the cabin. 

 

Dean broke down one of the beds, if they were sleeping in shifts now, separate beds were not necessary. He used the slats to partially cover the windows. The posts he used as door bars. It would be extremely difficult to break down the solid oak doors now. 

Sam and John moved the furniture around, making it easier to move between the windows, wanting nothing to obstruct them if they needed to move fast. They shut off the bedrooms, setting up a sleeping area in what had been the main living area. Access to the bedrooms was blocked off by dragging the enormous dresser in front of the doorway that led upstairs. They blocked the trapdoor to the dock by putting the heavy weapons chest on it. All the weapons were cleaned, loaded and shared out equally.

They dressed themselves for battle, wrapping knuckles, strapping on knife and gun holsters, and checking every strap, tie and buckle on their clothing. 

John brought in as much firewood as he could fit into the kitchen, stacked logs virtually to the ceiling. They would still need to keep warm and cook, and too many trips outside was asking for trouble. His conversation with Bobby had been quick and terse, Bobby offering to make the two day journey in his big truck and John refusing. It would endanger the network if anything happened to Bobby. 

 

It was already dark by now. The small lanterns on the kitchen table and the large dresser being the only light. Sam was sleeping on the bed in the corner whilst John and Dean kept watch nervously out of the windows. Both seated on low stools with weapons in easy reach.

“First light, I'll run some traps outside. If I place 'em by the windows and doors it'll slow the bastards down enough so that we can take the bastards out with one shot. No sense in wasting ammo on the fuckers. We don't know how many of them there will be.” said John quietly.

Dean nodded his agreement, remembering his father had gone through this before and knowing how terrifying this must be for him. Reliving his worst memories.

“Did you get much warning when.. y'know...Mom.” said Dean carefully. His father loved talking about their mother, but talking about her death was not a subject John would talk about, ever.

“None.” said John coldly. “There was no need for what that bastard did to her. She was mated. You boys were tiny. There was no need...” John broke off, throat too thick with emotion for a second. 

He cleared his throat and continued. “She was the one who raised the alarm that night. She had gotten up to see to baby Sammy, and had seen the raiders scaling the outer wall from the nursery window. She yelled out loud enough to stir the whole damn settlement. Azazel lost the advantage of surprise and knew his raiders were outnumbered, so he started burning everything in sight. I was outside at this point, fighting off the raiders. The bastard broke in to kill her out of pure spite. He tried to kill you boys too by burning the house. I only just got you both out. I went back for her, but it was too late. I... I felt her die, Dean.” He choked out the last words and shook his head as if trying to dislodge the memory. 

Dean could only watch his fathers distress from across the room. Reining in the instinct to comfort him, he couldn't abandon his post. They sat in saddened silence only broken by Sam's snores and the occasional pop and spit of the fire in the wood-burning stove. 

 

The sun rose almost reluctantly, the light catching the ice crystals in the air and creating a dazzling light show. The snow taking on a faint rose blush in the early morning light. The silence was deafening. Dean had taken Sam's spot on the bed and was curled in on himself, arms wrapped around his torso, dead asleep. Sam handed his father a cup of hot broth which John accepted gratefully with a smile for his youngest son. 

“Hey, Dad? Do you ever wish we were different, Alphas or Betas maybe?” said Sam curiously, taking his seat with his own cup of broth and scanning the view from the window.

“Well, it would have been easier for you boys, for sure. No moving around and such, but if we're wishing Sam, I'd wish that the world was a nicer place for you boys. You are fine as you are. It's the assholes that ruin it for everybody. Why should the fact you can give birth make you inferior? Or someone else's property? Or weaker? It's bullshit. I watched your Mama have you. She put my Alpha strength to shame.” John said passionately, sipping his drink. “Truth is, you boys haven't needed me to fight your battles for a long time. You can take care of yourselves. I'm just thankful you boys haven't thought to mention it. You indulge me in still feeling needed.” he smiled at Sam and winked. 

Sam looked a little shocked at his fathers impassioned speech. “Dad, of course we still need you. We always will. We all protect each other.” said Sam earnestly. “I know, son.” said John warmly. “Now, I'm gonna let you wake up your brother, whilst I go set these traps.” he abruptly changed the subject back to business.

Sam groaned. Dean was an asshole at the best of times, but after only two hours sleep, he would be downright unbearable. Sam nodded at his father reluctantly and gulped down the last of the contents of his cup. 

John stood up and stretched, shaking the stiffness from his limbs. He pointed to the first of the bear traps he planned to bury in the snow around the cabin windows and doors. “I'll go outside as soon as Dean is awake.” 

Sam stood and crossed the room, he hesitated slightly as he reached the bed where Dean was sleeping, before gently shaking his brother. He huffed a laugh at Deans immediate frown and whine.

“F'k off, Sam” he growled as he kicked out, narrowly missing Sam's groin. “C'mon Dean. It's just while Dad is outside, then you can go back to sleep.” crooned Sam. Dean groaned and sat up unsteadily “'Kay m'up” he grumbled, his eyes still half closed and a frowny pout on his face.

Sam and John shared a smile at Deans antics as he grumpily got out of bed and flounced to take his spot as lookout, yawning widely. 

“Okay, I'm gonna get all of these traps outside first, then I want you to bar the door after me. Keep an eye on the tree line.” said John, buttoning his jacket as Sam removed the door bar to let John out of the cabin. 

John picked up the sack of traps and slung it over his shoulder and nodded at Sam to open the door. 

 

The door swung open and Dean gave a warning shout, just as a loud rifle shot broke the morning silence. 

 

Time seemed to slow down as John dropped to his knees in the open doorway. His mouth open in silent shock. Both brothers scrambled to get to their father as a red stain blossomed on the chest of John's jacket. Sam reached him first, hoisting him under the arms to drag him backwards and Dean hurriedly slammed the door closed and barred it. 

“Dad! Oh God... Dad!” sobbed Sam as he cradled his dying father on the floor. The pain and fear on Johns face was visible. Sam looked at his brother desperately, Dean looked back in grief. It was a shot to the heart. Probably the lung too, judging by the bubbles of blood pouring from John's mouth. There was no doubt it was fatal.

John's eyes began to glaze over, his breath stuttered. He hung limp in his sons arms. Dean knelt down next to them in shock. His eyes flicking back and forth between the window and his dying father. His weapon in his hand, he kept watch as Sam tried to make their father comfortable. He took his fathers hand and gripped it. “No...Dad...no, please. Not like this.” begged Sam, tears streaming down his face. Sam tried to stem the bleeding by placing his hand over the wound, only to notice that it had stopped pumping out. 

 

John was dead. Both boys unleashed agonised sobs at the realisation.

 

Dean stood first, angrily wiping the tears from his face. “YOU BASTARDS!.” he screamed out of the window bitterly.

Sam reluctantly let go of his father, this fight was just beginning. If they made it, they would grieve later.

 

“I wanna gut the mother fucker who did this” Sam said through gritted teeth. He picked up the crossbow as Dean picked up the rifle. They each took a window, punching out a section of glass with the butt end of their weapons, looking for a target to destroy.

“I swear Sam, I only saw the guy a split second before he fired. The bastard is planted behind the fallen tree to the right.” said Dean “He's still there, I can see his breath.” Dean's voice was raw with grief and shock. 

“I can see another on this side, he's perched in a tree. I think I might just be able to get him with the crossbow.” said Sam, his tone cold and hard, his grief focussed into rage.

“I don't get it, why aren't they attacking?” said Dean, suspicious. “Probably waiting for us to make a move” said Sam angrily. “There must be more of them out there. I just can't see them.”

Dean almost got his fathers murderer in his sights but the bastard wouldn't move from behind the fallen log enough to get a fix. 

“They must have arrived at some point last night and been in place since before the sun came up” said Dean, bitterly. “Why the fuck are they just sitting there? They got Dad, and now what? They can't wait us out. They'll freeze to death.” Dean said with frustration.

“I agree, they're up to something. I guess we'll find out.” said Sam, judging the distance with his crossbow at the Alpha in the tree. “I'm gonna kebab the bastard over here. You got a fix on the shooter?” 

“No, the mother fucker hasn't moved. But feel free to ventilate  _ that _ asshole whenever you like.” 

 

Sam took aim again, firing as soon as he had his target in his sights. A distant cry was heard and the Alpha dropped from the tree like a stone, hitting every branch on the way down and smacking head first onto the snow covered ground. His head burst like an overripe pumpkin. He was definitely dead.

Both boys tensed, waiting for any others to come out of hiding to retaliate. But nothing happened. 

Dean and Sam shared a look of confusion. 

“You see anyone else, Sam?” said Dean. “Not yet” said Sam, eyes sweeping back and forth. 

 

Suddenly something bright caught Sam's eye and he gasped as he realised what it was.

“DEAN! MOLOTOVS!” he yelled as he took aim at an Alpha stepping from behind a tree in order to throw the bottle at the house. He fired a second too late as the Molotov sailed through the air and smashed against the side of the cabin. The Alpha screamed as Sam's hasty shot hit him low in the stomach and he fell backwards in the snow and writhed in agony, the second Molotov he held smashing and turning the Alpha into an inferno, he did not scream for long.

“FUCK!” screamed Dean as flames shot up the other side of the building. Another Molotov had been thrown and seconds later another  _ whoosh _ was heard at the back of the cabin and now the building was burning on three sides. 

Dean hadn't even fired a shot yet and they were trapped. 

“Dean! They're trying to flush us out the front door!” hissed Sam, reloading the crossbow as Dean desperately looked for a target to take out. If they were going to be forced outside, the less enemies to fight, the better. 

 

Suddenly two Alphas ran around from the side of the building, intending to get behind cover and wait until the Winchesters were forced out of the burning cabin. Dean shot the first through the thigh, causing the Alpha to drop into the snow screaming. Dean instantly re-sighted on the second Alpha who had hesitated for a split second and was about to throw himself behind a tree. Half his head disappeared in a cloud of pink mist as Dean opened fire again and the body kept it's momentum and slammed into the trunk of the tree with a wet smack. 

Dean re-loaded the rifle and took aim at the first Alpha he had shot, he was whimpering and attempting to crawl forward, leaving a bright red blood trail in the pristine white snow. The smoke was getting thick and Sam was coughing heavily into the crook of his elbow. Smoke was funnelling through the breaks in the windows and it was getting hard to see.

Dean wasted no time firing at the Alpha on the ground. The shot tore in low through his ribcage and out through the opposite shoulder, a large plume of blood and viscera radiating outwards like a gory firework. The Alpha slumped and stopped moving. 

 

A sudden burst of gunfire caused both boys to drop to the floor completely. The windows completely shattered and glass rained down on everything. John's corpse glittered in the light of the flames, which were growing more intense by the minute. The whole top floor of the cabin now completely engulfed in flames. 

Dean looked up from where he was hunched on the floor. Sam was sprawled on his side bleeding from a head wound. His hair was across his face and both arms were slung out either side of his prone body. 

“Sam...SAM!” screamed Dean, his voice hoarse from the smoke. He crawled across the floor towards Sam, praying he was alright. “SAM!” He brushed the hair from Sam's face and almost sobbed with relief when Sam stirred. The head wound was minor. A purple mark ending in a small cut just inside the hairline, a result of flying debris, not a bullet wound. 

“Sammy! Thank God! Oh thank God.” Dean sobbed in a voice barely above a whisper and crushed his brother to his chest. “I have to get you out of here, Sammy.” 

 

Suddenly a voice called out, barely audible above the roar of the flames. Dean gently laid Sam back down and crawled back to the window. The voice was clearer now. 

“...out Omegas. There is nowhere else for you to go. We won't even hurt you for killing our friends.” The nasal voice was irritating and Dean longed to rip the Alphas throat out.

“Come on boys, you don't have much choice, do you? That cabin is gonna come down on your heads soon.” The voice wheedled. 

Dean hated it, but the voice was right. They were running out of time. He looked around desperately and his eyes fell on the trapdoor to the dock. It was their only chance. Sammy was out of the fight, he couldn't defend himself. So Dean would do it for him. He made up his mind in seconds.

 

He stepped over to his fathers body, gripping his fathers shoulder and sobbing again as he said a silent goodbye. He began to put his plan into action. Dragging the weapons chest off the trapdoor, he then turned to Sam, who was groaning now. 

“Sam... Sammy! I got a plan. It's gonna be okay, I promise. I'm gonna get you out of here.” Dean half dragged and half walked Sam over to the trapdoor and sat him down next to it.

“Okay, Sammy. Here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna drop through here and hide yourself under the dock, 'kay? I'm gonna create a distraction. Don't worry, I got a plan, okay? Whatever happens, you get to Bobby. You understand me? You go to Bobby. I'll meet you there when I can.” 

Sam began to protest, but Dean just bullied through. Checking Sam's weapons and ignoring Sam's weak attempts at shoving him away.

The smoke and heat were almost unbearable now. They were officially out of time. Dean hauled open the trap door and unceremoniously shoved Sam through it. He dropped and rolled and looked up in a daze as if waiting for Dean. His face suddenly taking an agonised expression as he finally realised what Dean was going to do.

“NO! Dean, no. Please!” he begged, but Dean gave him a tearful smile and wave and slammed the trapdoor closed. Dragging sounds indicated he was replacing the weapons chest. There was no going back. Sam's head spun, he couldn't even stand, let alone stop Dean. He had no choice but to comply, he sobbed as he crawled out under the dock and hid on the ice. 

 

Dean ran to the window, the car was partially buried, his father had dug part of it out in order to radio Bobby. He hoped his plan worked, and at least Sammy would get away. 

He began to pry the slats from the window, throwing them aside and when he was satisfied, hauled himself out and fell in the snow. He staggered upright coughing and began to run to the car. Hearing a shout, he redoubled his efforts, they'd spotted him sooner than he hoped but he could still make this work. Reaching the car he tore the door open and threw himself in locking the door. He called Bobby on the radio. 

 

“Bobby! Please Bobby! Come in!”

He almost cried when Bobby's stern voice came back almost instantly.

“ _ Dean? You okay, boy? Where's your father?” _

“ He's dead Bobby! We're under attack. I think I got Sam out, but he's hurt. They're gonna take me Bobby. There's nothing I can do. I need you to take care of Sam for me, please Bobby!”

“ _ Jesus, Dean! Of course I will. But, can't you run yourself? Don't do anything stupid, boy. You run, you hear me?” _

“They got me cornered, Bobby. I'm surprised they aren't on me yet. I... just.... bye Bobby.”

“ _ You run, boy! You hear me? I can get the truck up there in two days....Dean? DEAN! GODDAMMIT!” _

 

The car windscreen smashed and Dean ducked instinctively, seconds later the car door window smashed and Dean was dragged out and thrown to the ground, he rolled onto his back and a boot rested on his throat and a rifle barrel appeared in his face, his vision blurred a little.

“Where is the other Omega?” a voice sneered.

Dean looked up at the tall, thin Alpha currently pinning him. He could still hear Bobby screaming incoherently from the radio. He went limp.

“Dead... He's Dead.” he said sobbing. 

“Really? I don't believe you somehow.” the Alpha pressed his foot down a little harder “Where is he?”

A giant roar filled the air and the cabin let out what sounded like a dying moan as the roof caved in and part of the stonework cracked and split, the cabin collapsed in on itself.

Dean let out a high sobbing wail and prayed Sam had done as he asked as the Alpha turned to watch the destruction. 

“Oh. Well. If he  _ was _ still alive in there, he's dead now.” sneered the Alpha and laughed. “Shame really, I would have enjoyed breaking that one. The sheer size of him! But I don't think I did too badly with just you. Pretty thing like you? Oh yes, I'm going to enjoy breaking something so beautiful.” 

He stamped viciously on Dean's chest and laughed mockingly as Dean curled into a protective ball, coughing and gasping into the snow. He laughed again as he punched him in the face and body repeatedly, until Dean vomited on himself. 

Taking advantage of the situation ,the Alpha snapped a collar around Dean's neck and chained him to a nearby tree. Tying his hands behind him and his feet together. He knelt down and methodically searched Dean's clothing for weapons, making sure his hands lingered in places to maximise Dean's discomfort. Tutting every time he found a knife and throwing it to one side. 

“I'm pretty sure you killed all of my men, the morons underestimated you. I  _ won't. _ ” said the Alpha. Dean stayed silent. The Alpha leant forward into Dean's space. His rotten breath making Dean want to vomit again.

“Your handgun is still on the front seat of the car. You thought you'd have a chance to use it, didn't you? Stupid bitch. You were looking the wrong way. I moved from behind the fallen tree as I fired at the house. I was in the tree line when I saw you run for the car.” 

The Alpha smiled sweetly. “I am called Alistair. I don't really care what your name is. You no longer have a name. I am taking it from you. Over time, I will take everything from you. Eventually ,I won't have to  _ take _ . You will  _ give _ me what I want before I even ask for it. I won't even have to bite you to do it.” Alistair stood and walked to the car, reaching in and picking up Dean's gun. He inspected it before placing it in his waistband. 

 

Dean cried silently, as he watched the black smoke curling in the breeze, blocking out the weak winter morning sun. 

 

 

Balthazar was in no rush to get back to the main camp, and it showed. They were a day overdue to meet the others and compare their findings and Castiel was feeling anxious. They were frustrated at finding nothing in the section of the canyon they had been given. Balthazar had wanted to explore an abandoned small township up on the rim, suggesting that if the rogue clan were nearby, it may have evidence of recent habitation. As for what kind of evidence, Balthazar wasn't sure, but Castiel wanted to be thorough and so they had explored the township.

It had been interesting. It had been stripped back to bare concrete a long time ago. The empty shells of the buildings were overgrown and the streets were now a sea of long grass. Someone had been here and scavenged virtually everything, but a very long time ago. It was probably Lucifers clan, but nothing pointed to where it was. Only that they had probably been here at some point. Before Lucifer had even taken over the clan. That was twenty years ago. Some of the trees growing through the buildings were more than forty years old. All they gained from the expedition was further evidence that Castiel was right, there was a clan somewhere in the canyon. 

It had put them behind by a day, but at least they could take back some interesting information, if not a location. 

 

Castiel was now getting irritated with Balthazar dragging his feet, they were only an hour or so away from the main camp and Balthazar had stopped again. 

“What are you doing? We're nearly there, you can rest all you like when we get there.” Castiel snapped, running his hands through his hair in frustration. 

“Not all of us have Alpha strength and stamina, Cassie. I'm also a tiny bit older than you. A mere ten years, but it shows. I'm sorry, darling.” said Balthazar, not looking sorry in the slightest. He was perched on a boulder and was adjusting his pack on the ground between his legs with a grumpy look on his face.

Castiel looked at his friend, he did look tired. Exhausted even. He immediately felt a little ashamed. 

“I'm sorry. I'll admit, I didn't take that into account. I let my concern over our overdue status cloud my judgement. Forgive me? How long do you need?” Castiel smiled at his friend, and was rewarded with a tired smile in return.

“Not long, Cassie. I'm just a little winded, and my poor feet are barking. When we get to camp I'll sleep under someone for two days straight with my feet in a bucket of cold water.” Balthazar joked.

Castiel laughed and sat down next to his friend. “I am sorry. I can take your pack if you like? At least this last part is all downhill and in the shade. When we get there, I'm betting there is a pot of stew with our names on it.” he moved to take Balthazar's pack, only to have it snatched away.

“Absolutely not. I'm not so decrepit as to need you to carry my pack, thank you. I just needed a tiny break.” said Balthazar sniffily. 

Holding his hands up in mock surrender, Castiel took a look around at the scenery. It was beautiful, the river a stunning turquoise colour that stood out against the red and gold of the canyon walls, the greenery was lush in this part of the canyon, in others, scrubby and dry looking. The air smelled sweet with the promise of rain. He noticed Balthazar looking at him oddly.

“What?” he asked, quizzically. His brow knotted into a frown.

“You're smiling, Cassie. I didn't even make a dirty joke. I didn't know you  _ could _ smile without rolling your eyes first.” teased Balthazar, causing Castiel to indeed, roll his eyes. “I smile all the time Balthazar” he said, confused. 

“Not like that. You looked almost happy. You're a handsome bastard at the best of times, but when you smile... it's radiant. You're an Omegas wet dream.” Balthazar said looking sincere. 

Castiel blushed and shifted uncomfortably. “You're just trying to make me uncomfortable, Balthazar.”

“Well, yes. Doesn't make it any less true though, darling.” Balthazar said smugly. “Come on then Cassie, let's go. I can already taste that stew.” he patted Castiels leg affectionately and stood up, swinging his pack onto his back. “Last one there is a rotten egg” he quipped as he began trudging along the riverbank. 

 

As they neared the main camp an hour later, Castiel stopped, sniffing the air with a wary look on his face. He held out a hand to signal Balthazar to halt. They crouched down in the undergrowth. Balthazar wisely kept silent for once, but looked at Castiel for an explanation. “Something's very wrong here” whispered Castiel. “I can smell blood, a lot of it.” he grimaced. 

“Maybe the others from camp pulled down an animal nearby?” suggested Balthazar quietly.

“No, it's human. Balthazar, I'm worried. We need to be even more cautious” Castiel feared for the rest of the group. Had they been discovered? Lucifers clan would not take kindly to trespassers and were known for brutality. Everyone in the group knew the dangers, that they may not survive the mission, but to even think they could be discovered so quickly was frightening. 

“What do you think we should do?” whispered Balthazar, who looked grim. 

“We need to know if everyone is alright. We'll approach from cover. Get as close to the camp as we can. Maybe get some idea of what we are dealing with. I don't like this, we are so close to camp, and there are no sentries posted. Someone should have been around here on watch. Something is definitely wrong.” whispered Castiel. 

 

They moved silently from cover to cover. Scanning constantly for trouble. They darted into a small crevasse that would place them just above the main camp and give a good view of the area. 

Castiel was the first to reach the edge and peer over. What he saw horrified him. He fought not to gag at the sickening display below. His legs gave out and he struggled to breathe. Barely aware, he vaguely heard Balthazar vomiting beside him. 

 

The main camp had been decimated. The rest of their group had been tortured and maimed. Eyes burned out, genitals and hands cut off and ribcages splayed open whilst still living, they were hung up in grotesque displays on crossbars against the canyon walls. In the centre of camp was Lucifers symbol made from the severed body parts of the victims. The entire camp site smelled of fear, blood and death. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves* Check me out! Two chapters in one week. I've never felt more organised in my life.   
> Successfully adulting - A novel by me.
> 
> This chapter isn't as long as the last one, but was a bitch to write. I managed to creep myself out writing the section on Dean's POV. 
> 
> This writing thing is a whole learning curve for me. I've never written this genre before, or a multi chapter story. I'm new to the concept of fan fic entirely. So I can't tell you how much it means that people are enjoying what I write.  
> Your lovely comments and kudos keep me wanting to write more. Keep 'em coming!

**Chapter six**

 

Sam shivered in his makeshift shelter. He had not dared to enter the ruins of the cabin, he did not want to see what was inside. Almost immediately after hiding under the dock, he had passed out, when he had awoken it had been dark and the snow had begun falling again. The cabin had still been smouldering and he was half frozen to death.

He had forced himself to move, to try to find some sort of cover from the elements. He had ended up in Bobby's box trailer. Not ideal, but it was a roof. He had stopped vomiting around twelve hours after he woke up, he just had a persistent ringing in his ears, nausea and a terrible headache. He just had to get past the worst of the concussion, then he would work out what to do next. He had already tried to call Bobby, but the car had been stripped of anything of value. The radio was gone. He couldn't track Dean, the snow had obliterated any tracks and the scent would have been impossible for even an Alpha to follow by now. He tried not to think about what was happening to Dean, but images tormented him and refused to let him rest.

He sat in the open roll top doorway of the trailer in front of a tiny fire, trying to stay awake when he heard to sound of an engine and a dog barking. He tensed up, he was still not in any shape to fight but he would give anyone who wanted one, hell. He heard the crunch of tires on snow just behind the trailer he was in and the engine cut off. Sam took out his handgun and shakily held it out in front of himself. The slamming of a vehicle door and the crunch of approaching footsteps set his already frayed nerves even more on edge.

 

He jumped when a large black and brown blur bounded around the corner, barking furiously and almost opened fire before realising it was Rumsfeld. Bobby's enormous rottweiller. Who was now decorating Sam's face with slobbery kisses. He began to sob with relief as the man himself appeared.

“Get off him, boy. The poor fella's been through enough without you trying to suffocate him.” said Bobby, dragging Rumsfeld off of Sam and kneeling down to check him for injuries.

“Bobby, I...we...Dad is...Dean...” Sam couldn't get the words out, his stomach lurched threateningly and he fought to keep the vomit down.

“It's okay, boy. Let's get you checked over and some fluids in you first. Dean managed to radio me just before they took him, I know the gist of it. It's being taken care of. You can fill in the details later. Right now, we need to take care of you.” said Bobby, soothingly.

 

He checked Sam over methodically, and correctly diagnosed concussion, dehydration and slight hypothermia. Sam's mouth and nose were still black with soot from the fire, so he was also suffering from smoke inhalation. The boy was in bad shape. 

Bobby stood and clicked his fingers to summon Rumsfeld, ordering him to sit with Sam.

“I wanna get some fluids in you and warm you up a bit before I move you, son. I'll get some things from the truck, the dog will stay with you. Let him lay down next to you, his body heat will warm you up a bit.” Bobby stood and walked back to the truck. Sam barely registered Rumsfeld flopping his enormous body down next to him, placing his head in Sam's lap. Sam absently began stroking the dogs massive head and Rumsfeld was almost giddy from the attention, his tail stump wriggling madly and his tongue flicking out at intervals to lick Sam's hand.

 

Bobby returned with a large flask of water, a blanket and a mismatch of clothes.

“Okay Sam, I want you to drink as much of that water as you can. Sip it, don't gulp it, or it'll come right back up.” he handed the flask to Sam and wrapped the blanket loosely around his shoulders.

“This little fire of yours is perfect for me to heat up a little broth. I got some in the truck. We'll get you into some fresh clothes after. I'll build the fire up again so it won't be too bad getting down to yer birthday suit out here.”

Sam looked down at himself and realised how he must look. He was covered in blood, both his and his fathers, also soot from the fire and vomit. He sipped the water gratefully, trying manfully not to gulp it. Bobby watched for a second, apparently satisfied Sam wasn't going to make himself sick again, he went back to the truck.

Sam began shaking again, his hands barely able to hold the flask, he placed it down as carefully as he could next to him. He was beginning to feel a little warmer, his muscles ached from the constant shivering he had endured for two days.

 

Bobby came back and busied himself over the small fire, raking the coals and placing a small pan of broth on them. In no time it was steaming and he transferred it to a small bowl.

Looking at Sam, who was still shivering violently, he paused and seemingly made a decision.

“Okay son, I think you'll end up wearing this if you try to feed yourself, so we're gonna do it together, okay?” he said gently, he looked as if he was expecting Sam to protest, so was a little surprised when none came. Sam just nodded, his logical mind overriding his pride.

Bobby knelt down next to Sam, feeding him spoonfuls of broth with gentle care and in silence. Rumsfeld had calmed down and was now staring at Sam with adoring eyes from his lap as he continued to pet him gently.

Sam finally got himself together enough to speak. In-between spoonfuls of broth, he haltingly told Bobby everything that had happened. How they had been taken by surprise even though they thought they were prepared. How quickly the fire had taken hold and anger bled into his voice as he talked about Dean sacrificing himself to save Sam. 

Bobby listened patiently, letting Sam vent, encouraging him to take spoonfuls of broth and when Sam's anger showed itself, he finally replied gently but firmly “Okay son, being angry right now is to be expected, but don't direct it at Dean. He did what he thought he had to. You were both trapped. The bastards would have gotten you both, don't doubt that. He knew _his_ best bet was to distract them from you. He probably told them you were dead. You wanna know why? Because he trusts _you_ to save him. He's smart your brother, he pretends he's not, but he's one of the smartest people I know. He didn't betray you by pushing you through that trapdoor, he was ensuring that _both_ of you survive. He knows you'll save him. Be angry, but at the bastards who did this. Use that anger to find Dean. I'll help you.”

Sam nodded, slightly ashamed, but grateful. With tears in his eyes he grasped Bobby's hand and squeezed. Bobby squeezed back and then slapped him on the shoulder before standing and swiping his own watery eyes manfully. “Okay, I'm gonna heat up some water, so you can freshen yourself up and get changed.” Sam nodded and wiped at his tear streaked face.

 

It was difficult, but between them they managed to get Sam cleaned up and into a fresh set of clothes. They were the wrong sizes, but better than what he had been wearing. Bobby had built up the fire and they were all huddled in the open door of the trailer, wrapped in blankets. It was beginning to get dark, Sam was struggling to stay awake. Bobby patted him on the shoulder.

“Sleep, son. We'll stay here tonight, and I'll drive us back tomorrow. There's no rush. I got Garth manning the radio and keeping an eye on my place. As soon as I spoke to Dean, I put the call out to the network, We've already got eyes out there looking for him. There's nothing we can do until we have some idea of where he is.”

Sam was asleep in seconds.

 

 

Castiel had noticed that there were only nine bodies. The original number of the group sent to the canyon had been twelve, counting him and Balthazar, so someone was missing. The damage done to the bodies made them impossible to identify, so they could only wonder who it was.

Castiel hoped whoever it was, had got away unharmed. He had wanted to give his clan mates a proper burial, but Balthazar had vetoed that idea. They had no idea if the camp was still being watched. They had sadly sneaked away from the camp and headed to the fallback point in the hopes that whoever had escaped the carnage would meet them there.

They travelled in silence. Moving only at night and sleeping in the day, it should have taken them much longer to get where they were going, but fear was a great motivator and they reached the fallback point in just two days.

 

The sun was just coming up and the sky was a pale mauve colour, the canyon was still shrouded in darkness, the sun not yet high enough in the sky to breach the depths. Castiel looked up at the trail leading out of the canyon. It was barely a goat track and zig-zagged erratically up the wall of the canyon. The river here was fast moving, wide and shallow. There was not much in the way of trees or plants, but boulders littered the floor of the canyon.

This was where the group had agreed to meet if the main camp was compromised. Both he and Balthazar were exhausted, mentally and physically. They cast their eyes around to look for the survivor, who must be in the same or even worse shape.

 

They were rewarded with the sight of a slight framed young man with blonde hair huddled behind a boulder, his arms hugging his knees, leaning back against the canyon wall. He was asleep.

 

“Alfie...” breathed Castiel, relief flooding through him. “Oh thank god.” He rushed forward and had to restrain himself from dragging the younger man into a hug. After all he had been through, he wouldn't appreciate being woken like that.

 

Instead, he called out softly “Alfie, it's okay. Wake up, Alfie”. The young Alpha started awake, his eyes huge with fear before focussing on Castiel and Balthazar. His breath caught and the relief on his face was visible. Castiel couldn't wait any more and swept the younger man into a crushing hug. Alfie began to sob and both Castiel and Balthazar had tears in their eyes.

“The others...they...oh god.” stammered Alfie, as Castiel tried to sooth him. “We know, we saw. How did you get away?” said Castiel gently, letting Alfie go and kneeling on the ground next to him.

“I got put on latrine duty, I was digging a pit a little outside camp when I heard shouting” began Alfie.

Castiel and Balthazar shared a look, this had not been Alfie's first mission, but as the youngest it guaranteed him the dirty jobs.

“I knew something was wrong straight away, So I crept back towards camp and when I saw what was happening, I didn't know what to do. So I..I hid.” Alfie looked ashamed.

Balthazar snorted and Castiel gave him a dirty look but Balthazar was unabashed.

“Dear boy, you couldn't have done anything. From what we saw, you would have just ended up the same way as those other poor bastards. You did the right thing.” stated Balthazar, surprising Castiel. “He's right, Alfie. You couldn't have done anything.” said Castiel, grateful for Balthazars bluntness for once.

“I could hear everything... the screams. The bastards were torturing them. They wanted to know where you were, Castiel. They knew we were coming and that you were our leader.” Alfie sobbed out.

A chill went through Castiel and he looked at Balthazar in horror. Balthazar had a furious look on his face. “So, we were betrayed.” Balthazar gritted out.

“No-one could say where you were, because you were overdue. But they _didn't care_. They just kept torturing them anyway. I heard it _all.”_ Alfie broke into harder sobs. Castiel moved to calm the boy but Alfie waved him off. 

“There's more, Castiel. When they finished...what they were doing, I heard Lucifers men talking. I know where Lucifers Clan is. I also know who betrayed us.” 

Castiel looked surprised and Balthazar whipped his head up in shock. 

“Don't leave us in suspense, dear boy. I for one would love to know who I need to shoot in the face for this betrayal.” said Balthazar, his voice taking on a steely edge. 

 

Alfie looked mournful as he said “It was Uriel. He's been working for Lucifer for years. He's going to bring down Michael from the inside.” 

Castiel reeled back in shock, he didn't want to believe it.

B althazar looked murderous “That..that CUNT!” he barked. “I'll kill him myself.”

 

Castiel's face darkened, his fists clenched. “Oh, no. That's far too good for him. I have something better in mind.” His voice dropped even lower. “He'll hang from his own rope.” 

 

The others looked at him in confusion, so Castiel began to outline his plan. 

 

 

Dean winced as he moved his limbs. Alistair had made good on his promise and had not bitten him, but had also stuck to the part in which he intended to break Dean without it. He had bruises on his bruises.

Dean had attempted to escape several times, once getting so far as picking the locks on the chains and unlocking the back door of the truck silently, only to open the door to find Alistair standing there with a gun laughing. Every attempt he made seemed to amuse Alistair more. 

 

They were travelling in a large truck, making several stops seemingly with no purpose, but that Alistair wanted to torment him. Dean refused to show how scared he was, something Alistair found endlessly amusing as Deans scent gave him away every time, the fear making his usual cinnamon scent turn sour. He hadn't raped him so far, but certainly touched him with possessiveness. 

He would punish Dean for every real and imagined infraction, beating him almost unconscious and then when Dean was too exhausted and wounded to protest, he would cradle him crooning songs and pet him like a lover. Running his hands over Dean's body, and peppering his face with kisses.

Dean fought not to vomit every time. 

He especially hated that he was so weak from the beatings, and cramped from wearing the chains, that he was forced to rely on Alistair for everything. He had pissed himself rather than ask for help and Alistair had beaten him again, then stripped him and cleaned him up so tenderly, whispering sweet nothings and kissing his bruises. Now when he had to void his bladder or bowel, Alistair helped him, cleaning him gently and calling him a 'good boy'. 

He hand fed Dean, refusing to let him feed himself. Food and water came from his hand or not at all. Alistair beat him if he refused.

Dean had tried to place where they were, but due to frequent bouts of unconsciousness, he had no clue. Just a vague idea that they were travelling south. He wondered if Sam was okay. Sam was smart, he was strong, he reassured himself. Sam would find him. Sam would never give up. So neither would Dean. 

He would be strong, for Sammy.

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*  
> This chapter was a pig to write, it did not want to come out AT ALL. I struggled with Dean's section of the chapter, I won't lie. As a rape survivor, I was not comfortable with describing sexual assault and triggered myself into a panic attack when I tried. I rewrote that section several times, so if it isn't very good, I apologise. I was as brave as I could be.
> 
> On a good note, I adopted a dog! He is a gorgeous Lab/Brittany cross that we named Bowie. I think my husband loves him more than me already. I'm ok with that, he is super cute. 
> 
> I'm sorry the updates are slow, this is a work in progress and sometimes real life gets in the way.

**Chapter seven**

 

Since Bobby had rescued him and brought him back to his home, Sam had mostly been recovering. Now he was almost fully back to his old self and he was  _ pissed.  _

Sams recovery had been slow, Bobby had only enough medical knowledge to get Sam back to the homestead, his long term recovery needed more know how than Bobby possessed.

Garth had come through on that, his network of contacts rivalled Bobbys and he had brought in an Alpha medic from a clan that lived in the ruins of a long dead city. The city clan were more advanced than most, they had hoarded knowledge in vast libraries, the kind of which made Bobbys hands twitch with eagerness at the thought of gaining access.

The Alpha medic was a pleasant girl named Jessica, who had studied her entire life to be of use to her clan, her skills, though rudimentary compared to pre-collapse medics, were light years ahead of most other people. Sams health had flourished under her care. Her rare designation was an asset when dealing with Sam's stubbornness, she stood firm during his frustrated rants and her sunny personality refused to let him wallow in his grief for long.

She had won over Bobby by impressing him with her knowledge of a vast range of subjects and they often chatted long into the night while Sam slept.

As Sam recovered, it had saddened them all at the thought that Jessica would have to leave, but she pointed out that  _ when _ they found Dean, he may possibly need medical care and it might be prudent for her to stay, at least a little longer. It wasn't the only reason she wanted to stay, however. 

It had been weeks, and no-one had any word of Dean. He hadn't really expected much from the network, Omegas were taken all the time, and they never returned. But Dean had resources that other Omegas didn't have. They had been trained by their father their whole lives for just this situation.

Sam had contacted everyone they knew, and apart from assurances that any information would be passed straight to him or Bobby, they had heard nothing. Dean had simply disappeared.

Sam was getting desperate, Dean was relying on him to save him. With not even the first clue where to start, Sam wondered how he was going to achieve that.

In the weeks since their fathers death and Deans abduction, Sam had swung between deep depression and anger. His grief at his fathers death was almost overshadowed by his almost blind terror for Dean. Jess and Bobby had a hard time getting Sam to accept their help and reassurances that everything that could be done to find Dean, was being done. He had considered going back to the cabin and searching for clues as to where Dean had been taken. Bobby had been adamant that he stayed put, threatening to lock Sam in the panic room if he attempted such a foolish thing. Jess had agreed with Bobby, making some interesting threats of her own, should Sam try to sneak away without telling them.

Bobby walked in on Sam putting a packed duffel bag down in the lobby, he stopped and crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at Sam. “Going somewhere?” he questioned.

Sam frowned and shook his head. “No, I'm frustrated that we've got no leads. I just packed us a go-to bag, so we can get out the door as fast as possible if we get any news. I...I needed something to do, I need to feel like I'm doing something to get Dean back.”

Bobby relaxed a little and his eyes shone with sympathy for Sam.

“I know, son. I'm damn near climbing the walls m'self. I've got the whole network looking, but whoever took Dean isn't advertising it.” Bobby adjusted his hat and sighed. “Garth has agreed to move his distillery operation here, so he can help man the radio and look after the place if we get news. The boys an idjit, but he's got something about 'im.” Bobby huffed a laugh at Sam's incredulous expression. “C'mon, the boy grows on you. You can't deny it, I saw you hug him back yesterday” said Bobby, smiling behind his beard.

“The guy is a total dork, goes overboard on the hugs and keeps trying to cheer me up with a sock puppet” said Sam, chuckling “But yeah, he does kinda grow on you.”

Bobby huffed a laugh and slapped Sam on the shoulder. “Good, 'cause yer helpin' me build his cabin next to the big spruce tree when the ground thaws a little more.”

Sams eyebrows almost met his hair in surprise and Bobby shrugged “Dean had a good idea, I'm gonna build on that. The network needs better communication, Singers homestead is gonna become the hub. We're talking about training and arming a militia to protect the clans. Garth may be an idjit, but he knows almost as many clans as I do. He is gonna be vital. We'll get Dean back, and maybe we'll prevent this ever happening again.”

Sam felt shame at the thought that while he had been wallowing in grief for his father and worry for Dean, Bobby had actually made good on his promise to do everything in his power to find Dean and protect them all. He felt pride for his brother, that he had inspired the clans to work together in a way they never had before. He felt hope for the first time in weeks. The cloud of grief began to clear, just a little.

They shared a small smile and then an eye roll as Garth called from the kitchen “YO! Dinner is served, Amigos!”

Garth kept them entertained throughout dinner, giggling madly and swaying in his chair after downing one of Bobby's beers in one go. For a distillery merchant, Garth was a notorious lightweight. Sam had to carry him to bed after he had fallen asleep at the table, Bobby shaking his head and laughing with Jess the whole time.

 

When Sam slept that night, it was undisturbed by nightmares of fire and blood. Instead he dreamed of a beautiful blonde Alpha.

 

 

Castiel lay flat on his stomach under a large shrub, for several hours he had been watching this particular outpost, noting guard changes and patrol patterns. His muscles were cramping and his bladder was fit to burst, but he didn't move. He needed to identify what this outpost was used for, it was heavily guarded, which made it important to Lucifer's clan. If he could find a hole in their security, he'd be able to get a closer look at what warranted so many guards.

Castiel had sent Balthazar and Alfie back to Michaels clan. They were to report that everyone sent to the canyon, including Castiel, was dead. They were to say nothing of Uriels betrayal, or that they knew where Lucifer was. The mission would be listed as a failure. 

Whatever Michael did next, Uriel would have to report to his contact with Lucifers clan. Alfie and Balthazar were to closely watch Uriel and identify the contact and anyone else he had subverted inside Michaels clan. Castiel insisted they must not give themselves away, or reveal that Castiel was alive. They would expose Uriels betrayal and any of the others he had subverted when Castiel was ready to make a miraculous return from the dead with the proof of his duplicity.

Being officially 'dead' gave Castiel the freedom to scope out Lucifer's operation without being actively hunted. If he could continue being undetected, he stood an excellent chance of gaining enough information to bring down Lucifer for good.

Over the last few weeks, he had gotten a good look at Lucifer's holdings. The main settlement was deep in the canyon. Cut into the canyon walls either side of a waterfall that powered a giant waterwheel. To Castiels surprise, the settlement itself was well planned and aesthetically stunning. Beautiful archways, pillars and steps had been carved out of the rock itself along both sides of the canyon, creating balconies and covered walkways. The river was controlled by a series of sluice gates and the banks had been built up and paved. A wooden bridge connected the two sides. Carved benches and statues sat in alcoves and although it was still winter, plants grew everywhere, carefully shaped and tended to add to the surroundings but not take over. It was breathtaking.

As much as Castiel admired the design, it was obvious that the whole settlement ran on slaves. Omegas in fine white leather collars were everywhere, trailing Alphas who strutted around like kings. Kneeling with their heads bowed when their Alpha stopped to chat with a fellow Alpha.

Any actual work inside the main settlement was carried out by Betas, they were also collared, but with thick black leather to mark them as such. They were also obviously slaves. They were making their own people slaves, just because they couldn't produce offspring.

Castiel had witnessed one male Beta being punished for accidentally sweeping dust onto a pregnant Omegas feet. He had been beaten, stripped naked and and hung by his ankles on a swinging gibbet from the lip of the canyon. Castiel was horrified to realise the man had been gelded previously. He was a eunuch.

He surmised that this was probably the case for all of the male Betas. It made him sick to his stomach. 

He also came to the realisation that there were too few Betas here. Betas usually accounted for around 75-80% of the population. So far as he could make out, only 30% of this settlement were Betas. He suspected he knew the reason, but didn't want to linger on that thought. It didn't stop it from haunting his dreams though.

Castiel had already exploited the most glaring hole in their defences on the main settlement, they were  _ too _ organised.

He had watched from the distance for days to establish the guard rotations and patrol patterns. They were like clockwork. The patrols never varied, same guards, same times, day in, day out.

They never even deviated from the well worn patrol path. It stood out like a bright ribbon on the desert floor. Castiel suspected they never deviated from the path because to stray from it risked setting off traps. They had not changed their system for a very long time, believing it to be perfect they had fallen into predictable patterns, ripe for exploitation. 

The worn patrol path would guide an attacking force through any traps, rendering them completely useless. Castiel would have laughed at the arrogance of Lucifer's men, but settled on planning their destruction instead.

After scoping out the main settlement, he had moved on to the outposts. Again, their arrogance amazed him. It was almost too easy to sneak in and snoop around. He had identified where they stored the boats they used for raiding, a weapons store, several warehouses stocked with everything from corn to cotton, a large stable of horses, an engineering yard with a fleet of vehicles and several farms. He marked them all on his map, and made copious notes in a small notebook, both would be essential when planning to bring down Lucifer.

He had to force himself to resist committing petty acts of sabotage, he couldn't afford anyone to suspect that he was here. The last thing he needed was for the clan to tighten security or change their routines.

The outpost that Castiel was currently scoping out was on the rim of the canyon and had better security than any of the other places he had seen so far. The patrols were varied, guard rotations were not as rigid and the sheer number of guards left almost no part of the outpost unprotected at any time. He was beginning to doubt he would be able to get anywhere near the place to find out what it was used for. It was surrounded by a high rough stone wall that was patrolled constantly by guards with high powered rifles. A permanent guard post was established at the massive gate that was the only entrance to the compound. The main building itself was an L-shaped single story concrete monstrosity, a leftover from before the collapse. Several smaller wooden buildings were dotted around serving as latrines, or storage sheds.

 

The sun was beginning to get low in the sky and his bladder was screaming at him now. His kidneys were actually beginning to ache. He reluctantly abandoned his hiding place by crawling backwards and emerging behind the shrub he had been under for most of the day. He made his way to his temporary camp site, only stopping briefly take a well deserved piss. He tried not to make an audible sigh of relief as the pressure on his aching bladder was finally released.

He held his cock in one hand and scratched at his rough beard with the other, he had abandoned shaving a while ago. He realized he probably looked feral. He was glad of the cold weather, sweating would amplify his Alpha scent and he was careful to always remain downwind to not give himself away. He contemplated taking yet another freezing cold bath in the river and felt his balls shrivel at just the thought of it.

Finally his bladder was empty and he shook himself off and buttoned himself back into his pants. He kicked some dust over the damp soil to cover his scent, then turned and bent to retrieve his pack when he heard a distinctive rattle and froze.

 

Somehow he had managed to disturb a rattlesnake by pissing into its burrow. Fuck.

 

The weather was still a little too cold for it to be active. Being February, it was near enough to spring to wake it up and it was none too happy at having it's slumber disturbed. The snakes body was coiled but its movements were slow and sluggish. Its metabolic rate was obviously so lowered by the still cold air that it struggled to strike, almost flopping in its attempt. Castiel still jumped back, he knew that rattlesnakes sometimes shared burrows so kept a wary eye out for more.

He maintained a distance but paced sideways as the snake drunkenly weaved and coiled trying to keep him in sight.

An idea suddenly formed in Castiels mind on how he would gain access to the outpost. The rattlesnake was his ticket inside. Now he just had to catch it and avoid being struck.

 

 

Dean sat on the windowsill and watched the sun begin to set, the sky gradually darkening and the riot of colours fading into blackness. It was a ritual of all of the omegas here, to watch the last of the light leave the day. They were not allowed lanterns in the dorm where they were kept and the nights were long, so they made the most of every bit of light they got.

There were four Omegas, including Dean currently in the dorm. The other three were female and young.

Charlie was a bubbly red head from a city clan, she was bright and vivacious and extremely intelligent.

Amy was a quiet blonde, she was grieving the loss of her child. Although unmated, she had a son that had been left behind when she was taken, he was just over a year old.

Jo was a tough as nails blonde and had a deadly temper, as one of the Alphas that had dared to get too close had found out.

All three had been taken in a raid on Jo's mothers roadhouse. They had never met before that night, Charlie and Amy had been travelling separately but had chosen to stay at the roadhouse on their journey. The place had been burned to the ground and Jo's father, a burly Alpha named Bill Harvelle had been murdered trying to protect them. They had no idea what had happened to Jo's mother or Amy's son.

The Omegas had learned that the compound in which they were being kept was merely a stopping place until they neared their heats. When the first sweet notes of their spring heats entered their scents, they would be taken and traded to the highest bidder. Dean would be especially valuable as he was a male Omega, extremely rare and even rarer, untouched by an Alpha.

It was February, heats were due late March, they did not have long to escape.

They were all subject to visits from Alistair, who personally oversaw the compound and the well being of the Omegas. Dean and Jo took the brunt of his “education” of how a proper Omega should behave. No matter how much they pretended to go along with his rules, Alistair somehow sensed their defiance and acted accordingly.

They were beaten and starved for the slightest infraction. But Alistair had one punishment that he favoured above all, there was an old well in one of the outer buildings, it had long dried up and the bottom of the well shaft opened up into a small damp cavern littered with trash and crawling with rats and snakes, it was fondly referred to by Alistair as “The Pit”.

He would lower them on a cradle down the well shaft with the warning that if they didn't step out of the cradle, he would cut the ropes and they would stay down there forever. It varied however long they were kept there, in complete darkness, listening to the scurrying and squeaking of the rats and jumping at a real or imagined touch from the animals. The only light would be a lantern attached to the cradle that was lowered when it was time to be taken out.

It was an effective punishment an an excellent deterrent for errant behaviour. All of the Omegas had been in the pit at least once. Dean had been in the pit several times, he fought at first, punching and kicking until he was beaten into half unconsciousness. Dean realised quickly that blood from his wounds attracted the rats, which in turn attracted the snakes. Stopping the rats from gnawing at him while mostly incapacitated after a beating was almost impossible. He stopped fighting after that, no longer willing to spend his time in the pit continuously fighting off the disgusting creatures inside.

The Omegas had quickly bonded in their mutual hatred of Alistair, and had been plotting various escape plans in the weeks of captivity. None had come to fruition, Alistair had been doing this for a long time and was way ahead of any scheme the Omegas came up with, although it amused him that they had tried.

Tonight, Dean stayed awake on his own. The other Omegas had fallen asleep not long after sundown. He turned his face back to the window and brought his knees up to his chest wrapping his arms around his legs, he allowed himself to think about Sam. Had he escaped? Was he even alive? If so, was he trying to rescue him? These were not thoughts he allowed himself when around the others, it was too dangerous. Amy had taken a punch today for crying over her little boy. Dean had snapped and tried to intervene, but it had resulted in Amy getting an even more severe beating while Dean was held back and forced to watch.

Guilt clawed at his insides as Amy was forced to not only to submit, but to take a knot to the mouth as tears streamed down her face. He had tried to look away but his head was held in place by the two Alphas holding him as the Alpha forcing Amy to pleasure him grunted out a mixture of slurs and encouragements as he fucked her mouth.

It had been the first time the Alphas had assaulted any of them that way. Until now the Omegas had assumed that sexual assault was off the cards, in case the “merchandise” was damaged. Now Dean realised that thinking that way had been naïve. Alistair had figured out that Dean had a self sacrificing streak a mile wide, the punishment had been just as much for him as it had been for Amy. He had tried to comfort her after the ordeal, but she had been inconsolable and had pushed him away, hoarsely shrieking at him that he shouldn't have interfered, that it was his fault.

Dean had been mortified. As Charlie and Jo had rushed over and gently coaxed Amy from the floor to tend to her wounds and clean her up, Amy had fixed him with a glare filled with hatred. He could do nothing but watch as the other Omegas had taken care of her.

Later, while Amy was being helped to bathe by Jo, Charlie had tried to talk to Dean. Trying to reassure him that Amy hadn't meant what she said, that it wasn't Deans fault. But Dean couldn't shake the guilt. Deep down, he knew that it was a punishment designed by Alistair to break the Omegas, but he couldn't get Amy's hate filled glare out of his mind. He had just shaken his head at Charlie and walked away to lay on his bed, his back to the room. None of them spoke for the rest of the day.

 

Dean was determined to get them all out of here somehow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*  
> THIS IS THE ONE YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!  
> Yes, Dean and Cas finally meet. I felt this momentous occasion deserved a huge chapter, just over 6000 words.   
> You're welcome. 
> 
> *No Sam in this chapter, but he is in the next. He might even get lucky ;)   
> **I know the snake stuff seems implausible, but it's all actually true. I did research and the tactic was used in the Vietnam war. I've wanted to use it in a story for ages.   
> ***The next chapter is already in progress, because I have no life.
> 
> Your comments and kudos, as always feed my poor, withered ego. I get so excited when I see a new message in my inbox, thank you so much for your support.

**Chapter Eight**

 

Castiel slept late, the sun was high in the sky and the temperature was unseasonably warm for February. It looked like spring would be early this year. Stretching and and rubbing his eyes, Castiel groaned, his back protesting at sleeping on the hard ground these last few weeks. His temporary camp site was a tiny cave, barely more than an overhang and too small to lay out fully in order to comfortably sleep. He blinked in the gloom and took stock, his pack was leaning against the wall of the cave, next to it was a canvas bag that twitched and rolled occasionally. Castiel had caught the rattlesnake last night, along with two others and they were more or less happily snuggled together in the bag.

He suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for his brother Gabriel, who had taught him how to capture snakes, even if they were the non-venomous kind and they were put in someone's bed as a prank. He chuckled to himself remembering Raphael's reaction to finding a snake under his pillow, it had been worth the punishment he and Gabriel had received. Cleaning algae from the outside of the old water tower had been an ill advised punishment as it turned out, as Gabriel had scrubbed foot high letters in the algae, spelling out RAPHAEL WETS THE BED, big enough for the whole settlement to see. They were punished again, but Raphael never picked on Castiel or their younger sister Hannah again after that day.

Rolling to a crouch, Castiel inspected his meagre supplies. Food was scarce this time of year, but he was an accomplished survivalist. If one wasn't too squeamish and you were hungry enough, many things could be considered food. Although, Castiel really missed fresh baked bread right now.

Putting together a hasty meal of the remainder of his rations, he took his time eating while watching the river, marvelling at the beauty of the canyon.

He checked his pack again, taking everything out and repacking it until he was satisfied. He decided to take a bath in the river. His scent could give him away if he wasn't careful, so he had been meticulous about cleanliness even when roughing it. He ran his hands over his beard, it was getting unmanageable and more than a little itchy, deciding on a shave as well he dug out his straight razor, soap and fresh clothes and headed to the shallows.

Stripping to the waist, he sat on a rock by the riverside and soaped up his face, rinsing and then soaping his beard. He shaved his face from memory, having no mirror to check his work, he hoped for the best, running his hands over his now smooth face he thought he'd done a pretty good job. Hopefully no-one would see him to judge him. Stripping the rest of the way, he waded into the shallows until waist deep, wincing at the near freezing water. He plunged in, soaking himself completely before wading back to grab the soap. He scrubbed his skin and hair vigorously, trying to neutralise his Alpha scent as much as possible before rinsing off and wading out of the river to dry off and dress.

Dressed in a simple cotton shirt and jeans, he inspected his boots before putting them on, checking the soles and seams, it would do no good if the leather creaked or he had a pebble in the sole if he was trying to move silently. He wished he hadn't learned that lesson the hard way as he absently rubbed at the phantom bruises on his ribs. His training in the clan had been brutal, but no more than anyone else's.

He secured his pack onto his back, it wouldn't be going with him tonight, but he would stash it nearby to the compound. He would be moving on after tonight and wouldn't be returning to his temporary camp site, leaving anything here would be pointless. He gingerly picked up the canvas bag containing the rattlesnakes and began his trek towards the compound.

 

A few hours later he was in position, the sun had set a while ago and Castiel was waiting for the guards to relax into their duty. Timing was everything, if he moved too soon the guards would still be alert enough to notice him.

He waited a little longer before picking up the canvas bag and half untying the knot that kept it closed.

Up on the walls the guards patrolled, lanterns swaying in their grip and rifles strapped to their backs. This was in Castiels advantage, the lanterns would give the guards night blindness, only allowing them to see a few feet around them within the meagre pool of light surrounding the lantern. The rifles would be useless at night, the guards would be better off with short range weapons or handguns. Castiel wasn't ruling them out, but he wasn't planning on finding out if they had them or not.

He moved slowly, watching the guard post at the gate, the two guards had a small fire pit burning, protection against the cold night. They stood on opposite sides, illuminated by the flames and warming their hands and chatting. Perfect.

He crawled as close as he dared, just outside of the light, and untied the canvas bag, two of the snakes immediately slithered out and Castiel dropped the bag and stepped on the top to prevent the third from escaping. He roughly tied the bag and slung it over his shoulder. He had intended to release them all, but he might need a distraction to get back out. The snakes immediately began towards the warmth of the fire, instinct driving them to the heat.

Castiel began to move swiftly, away from the guard post as a scream shattered the silence. He could see the guards on the wall rushing towards the sounds of the panicked Alphas as the guards at the gate scrambled away from the deadly snakes. He made for the rough stone wall halfway along it's length and began to climb quickly. Within 30 seconds he was at the top and crossing the walkway in order to drop down the other side.

Landing softly he ducked down behind a truck and surveyed his surroundings. Noticing a tall, thin Alpha exiting one of the wooden outbuildings and marching towards the gate, lantern swaying. He hunched down further until the Alpha was out of range. He figured his best bet was hiding in the building the Alpha had just exited as it was unlikely anyone else was in there, seeing as he had taken the lantern with him, the windows were dark.

Almost all of the guards had run towards the gates at the commotion and Castiel took his chance, darting out from behind the truck and ducking into the wooden building, it's door left half open in the tall Alphas haste to check on the commotion. He took a shaky breath and surveyed the room, letting his eyes adjust to the dark.

At the back of the room was a rough stone low wall with a hand operated winch above what was obviously a well shaft, a cradle was lying on the ground in front of the lowest part of the wall. He could hear low sobs and gasps from below. He crept closer, placing his hand on the stone wall and peering over into the inky blackness below, his fingers dislodged a small rock that clattered as it fell. Castiel cringed and then froze as a male voice suddenly called out

“I can hear you up there, you bastard. Fuck you, and fuck your mind games. Is beating the shit out of me not enough anymore? You gotta mess with my head too? Fuck you, Alistair!”

Castiel considered fleeing before he was discovered, but the voice sounded so broken. He hesitated just long enough to register the scent of distressed Omega coming from the well shaft. It kicked his protective Alpha instincts into overdrive and the next thing he knew he was whispering into the well to the trapped Omega

“I'm not here to hurt you, I want to help.”

 

 

Dean was confused. Who the hell was that whispering about helping him? He didn't recognise the voice, then again, Alistair's guards were not known for whispering. Or talking for that matter, they mostly communicated with a series of grunts in the presence of the Omegas.

Dean had been put in the pit again for being caught out of bed the night before, he had fallen asleep on the windowsill and had still been there when Alistair had decided to check in on the sleeping Omegas. He had a rough idea that it had been about a day since he had been put here and he had thought a little while ago that he had heard Alistair preparing to get him out. The familiar clang of the cradle being attached to the ring clips on the rope had alerted him, but it had halted suddenly. 

Now he just had to figure out if this was one of Alistair's mind games or if someone was indeed trying to help.

He looked up, trying to see the person at the top, but whoever it was, had no lantern and was invisible in the darkness. 

“Who are you? He called out, uncertainly. “Hey!” he called out again when he got no answer.

“SHHHH!” came the reply, “Be quiet, or we'll be discovered.” the voice was deep and gravelly, and very obviously not one of Alistair's men. His heart skipped a beat when he had the thought that maybe Bobby had sent someone to get him out.

The thudding sound of the cradle being swung into place over the well shaft made Dean wince. Now he knew that silence was paramount, every noise seemed amplified to his ears. The gentle ticking sound of the winch, was like usually like music, right now it sounded far too loud.

Deans heartbeat thudded in his ears and he felt sick with anticipation, he prayed that this was not some cruel joke being played by Alistair. He sensed rather than saw the cradle coming down the shaft, the darkness preventing him from judging it's exact position. He stood back slightly and held out his arm to steady the cradle as it breached the bottom of the well shaft. He called out as quietly as he could to alert the person above to stop the winch, it stopped almost immediately.

Dean scrambled into the cradle and whistled to signal his rescuer (if that was indeed the case) that he was ready to be hauled up. The cradle wobbled and swayed as it began to rise, Dean holding his arms out and trying to prevent the cradle from banging against the walls of the well shaft.

It was agonisingly slow and Deans heart was racing.

He was within a few feet of the top when the winch suddenly stopped and he heard a muttered “Fuck!”. Then he heard the door to the outbuilding swing open and then nothing.

Panic flooding his system at the thought of being abandoned, he leapt the last few feet and grasped the lip of the well, desperately trying to haul himself up and climb out.

He scrabbled and finally gained a foothold, enough to give himself the leverage to lift himself over the top, grunting with the effort. He wondered where his mystery rescuer had gone, only to notice through the dirty cracked window that Alistair was rapidly approaching the building.

Dean had nowhere to go, he froze as Alistair walked through the wide open doorway. A small perverse part of him wanted to laugh at Alistair's confused expression as he suddenly halted just inside the doorway.

“How did..” Alistair started, but never got to finish as the door suddenly banged shut behind him revealing his rescuer who had been hiding behind it.

Before Dean could even blink the stranger gave a lightning fast jab to Alistair's throat as he turned, silencing him, and then just as quickly, whipped a canvas bag over his head, moving behind him again, still gripping the bag. The lantern dropped and Dean had just enough presence of mind to grab it before it smashed and placed it out of reach.

Deans skin crawled when he heard a distinctive rattle from the bag and stepped back in horror as Alistair began to desperately struggle, his hands clawing at the bag as the stranger tightened the neck of the bag around Alistair's throat and held on, his legs slightly apart and his biceps bulging with the effort, a grim look on his face.

Alistair's legs gave out and he fell to his knees, still struggling and making strange clicking noises from his crushed larynx, the stranger merely held on and finally made eye contact with Dean, only to nod in the direction of the well. Dean nodded back to show he had understood and began to crank the winch to bring the cradle up the rest of the way. Dean turned to look at the stranger and winced as his apparent rescuer delivered a powerful kick to Alistair's ribs with a sickening crack. Alistair stopped struggling and sagged, the stranger however, held on. It was eerie, a life and death struggle carried out almost without a sound. In that moment, Dean wasn't sure who he was more terrified of, Alistair or this strange Alpha.

The cradle was at the top of the shaft now, level with the lip of the well. Dean let go and stepped back again. The stranger finally relaxed his grip on the bag and pulled it back over Alistair's head, revealing his purple face covered with several rattlesnake bites. Dean recoiled as Alistair attempted to sneer at him even though the effect was ruined by the paralysis beginning to freeze his features.

“Take what you need.” The stranger said gently, breaking Dean out of his horrified reverie.

“What?” said Dean, confused.

“He hurt you, I'm assuming you'd like a little payback. Take it.” said the stranger gravely. He stood over Alistair like a sentinel, ready to intervene. The bag had been tied and discarded, the snake was still writhing, furious at it's treatment.

Dean felt a wave of gratitude towards the stranger, completely overriding his fear of him. Sure, he was still a terrifying bastard, but he was trying to give Dean back a little of the power that Alistair had taken from him. It was a kindness he wasn't sure he deserved.

Dean looked at Alistair, who was now drooling and sagging so much he was threatening to tip over. One bite from a rattlesnake would sometimes take days to die from, but Alistair had venom from several bites, he had hours at most. He stepped forward hesitantly, looking at the stranger fearfully, who just nodded reassuringly.

Dean gripped Alistair's hair and pulled his head back, leaning down to look him in the eyes.

“I hope you're suffering, you bastard. I hope this really hurts and it takes you a long time to die. You'll die alone, in the dark, with no-one to mourn you. At least my dad died quickly, at least he died knowing he was loved. He died with honour. You never had any. You think you broke me? You didn't even scratch the surface.” he suddenly let go of Alistair and stepped back. The stranger looked impressed and gave Dean a small smile before saying gently “Shall we?” nodding towards the well.

Between them they took Alistair's weapons, one of which was Dean's gun, which he was overjoyed to see, and removed the keys from the keyring attached to his belt before lifting him into the cradle as the dying Alpha wheezed and flailed. They lowered it as fast as the winch could handle hearing the cradle hit the bottom with a muffled thud. The stranger pulled a knife from his belt and handed it to Dean, who took it gratefully before gleefully sawing through the rope, which cracked like a whip as the last strand broke and fell away down the well shaft to land with a thump on Alistair's twitching body. The open bag containing the snake was tossed down after.

Alistair would die in his own pit, a fitting end.

 

Dean tried to hand the knife back, but the stranger shook his head. “Keep it, I have others.” he smiled. Dean shrugged and tucked the knife in his waistband alongside his gun.

Dean finally took the chance to get a proper look at his rescuer, he was tall, virtually the same height as Dean, but broader. His hair was a rich dark brown, almost black, which complimented his startling blue eyes. He had a light dusting of stubble on a strong jaw and a mouth that looked soft and plush, a mouth that began to curve into a shy smile as Dean suddenly realised he had been staring just a  _little_ longer than he should have.

“Uh, sorry dude. I guess I'm tryin' to figure out why the rescue, I mean, who are you?” said Dean, awkwardly. He was flustered and blushing slightly.

The stranger chuckled “My name is Castiel, and I haven't rescued you yet, we still have to get out of here. Do you mind telling me who I am rescuing?” he looked at Dean, mildly amused.

“I'm Dean. Dean Winchester. Sam and Bobby didn't send you?” said Dean, confused.

Castiel looked just as confused, tilting his head to one side as he replied “I didn't actually intend to rescue you, I'm here for a different reason. I have no idea who you are talking about.” He began to check around, working out their exit strategy.

Dean was even more confused “So you're not here to rescue us Omegas?” he said, perplexed. “What the actual fuck are you even doing here, man?”

“I'll explain once I get us out of here.” Castiel stopped suddenly “Wait, you said 'us Omegas', you're not the only one here? There are more of you?” he looked at Dean worriedly.

“Well yeah. That fucker kidnapped us, to trade us. Like we're _merchandise._ There are three others. I'm not leaving without them.” said Dean, suddenly fearful that Cas would try to force him to abandon the others.

An angry look passed over Castiels face, he clenched his fists and Dean stepped back, gripping the knife that Cas had given him, the scent of Castiels anger mingling with the scent of Deans fear.

Castiel relaxed suddenly, as if realising that Dean was misinterpreting his anger, he looked abashed and rushed to reassure Dean. “Dean, I wouldn't expect you to. I'm not angry with you. I'm suddenly wishing I could throw every single one of those animals into that well with that piece of filth down there already. It wasn't my original intention to mount a rescue, but I guess that plans change. Of course we won't leave them.” he grabbed Deans shoulder and looked at him earnestly, suddenly noticing how very green Deans eyes were.

Dean relaxed slightly, he met Castiels eyes and saw the truth in them. “How are you for real, man?” he said, amazed.

Castiel smiled. “I'm real, I promise. Do you think you can show me where your friends are?”

Dean nodded, feeling a little like his old self. “Let's go, Cas.”

Castiel looked bemused “Cas?” he said questioningly.

Dean flushed and shifted awkwardly. “Shit, sorry man. I dunno, I just... uh..”

Castiel's smile lit up his entire face “I like it. Compared to my usual nickname, it's a definite improvement.”

It was Deans turn to smile “Well, alright then. You ready?” He gestured to the door and the rest of the compound.

 

 

Getting across the main compound proved easier than either of them expected, the commotion at the gate had calmed down but the guards had yet to return to their positions on the walls. As they hid behind another truck, Dean had an idea.

“Wait here, Cas.” he whispered as he took off at a low run into the darkness. “Wait!” hissed Cas grabbing for Dean and missing. He could do nothing but sit and silently fume as the minutes ticked by.

He was just starting to seriously worry when Dean suddenly dropped down next to him, with a huge grin on his face and holding up a handful of wires in his fist. “I figured we'd steal this truck” said Dean, pointing to the truck they were currently hiding behind. “But I cut the wires to the starter on the other truck, took a length of it to make sure they can't hot wire it. They won't be able to follow us.”

Cas rolled his eyes, indicated the truck and whispered “Then I hope you can drive, because I can't.”

Dean looked shocked “What? Of course I can drive. Why can't you?” he whispered back.

“Is that really important right now?” hissed Cas looking irritated.

“Dude, how did you think we were gonna get out of here, I dunno about _you_ , but I can't fly.” said Dean snarkily.

“I told you, I didn't originally plan a rescue mission, we're making it up as we go!” Cas snarked back.

“Well then, looks like I'm the driver and you're shotgun. Now we just need the passengers” said Dean with finality.

The main building was mostly dark, the Omegas dorm was on the corner of the building that formed the L shape. One end being the guard quarters and the other the kitchen and Alistair's quarters, Dean described the layout in as much detail as he could as they made their hasty plans.

Cas figured that breaking in via Alistair's quarters was the best way to get into the building and avoid the guards. After all, it was unlikely they would be discovered, Alistair was currently dying 40ft below ground and unable to raise the alarm.

They crept towards the building, stopping underneath a window. Only one of the panes was intact, it's glass was pitted and cracked with age. The other pane was gone and in it's place was a rough board wedged into place. Cas signalled for Dean to keep watch as he began to pry the board loose, they both cringed as the board suddenly shifted with a squeal and Cas lifted it free, laying it gently on the floor to one side of the window. He peered inside before turning to Dean and nodding and then climbing through the opening, Dean followed seconds later.

They were inside Alistair's quarters, they were not grand by any stretch of the imagination. The floor and surfaces were filthy, the furniture dingy and the smell of unwashed Alpha permeated everything. Dean had to hold his mouth to prevent himself gagging at the stench. Cas with his superior Alpha sense of smell had to bury his nose in the crook of his elbow.

“Urgh, I don't wanna touch anything in here. Jesus, was he collecting communicable diseases? My guess is he was going for the whole set.” whispered Dean in disgust. Cas frowned and nodded his agreement with that statement. They crept through the room, being careful not to touch anything, their shoes sticking to the slightly tacky floor.

The door to Alistair's quarters was locked from the outside, Cas pulled Alistair's keys from his pocket and began to test each one, the third key slipped in and turned with no resistance and Cas gingerly turned the handle and cracked the door barely an inch and waited. Hearing nothing but his own heartbeat, Cas opened the door a little wider and peered out. It was a large room that had been used as a kitchen, one wall was taken up with two huge stoves and a pantry and a large table with a bench sat in the middle of the room. Thankfully, this room was clean and smelled faintly of soup.

The doorway to the kitchen was wide open and they made their way swiftly across the room, peering out into the corridor. All was silent. Dean pointed out the door to the Omegas dorm and Cas nodded. They crept along the corridor, hardly daring to breathe.

Cas paused outside the door to the dorm, the wide keyhole made it obvious which key was used for this door. Sliding the key in and turning the lock, he paused as Dean tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around, he realised Dean was signalling for himself to go first. He nodded and shuffled back allowing Dean to open the door and step in before him.

The Omegas had all been sleeping, but had woken at the door opening, terrified that Alistair was paying them a surprise visit. They were all in their beds, half sat up and confusion written on their faces and Dean hurried to shush them before they could begin asking questions. He turned to see Cas closing the door and taking up a guard position.

The Omegas scents were full of fear and apprehension and Dean signalled them to gather close. Obeying the request, the girls huddled onto the bed nearest the door with Dean and put their heads close together, occasionally shooting nervous glances at Cas.

Dean took a breath and whispered urgently “Long story short, Alistair is no longer a problem and we're gettin' out of here. Right now. Get dressed as quickly and quietly as you can. No talking, save your questions until we're out. If me or Cas- that's Cas there over by the door by the way, if one of us tells you to do something, do it. Anything to add, Cas?” he turned to Cas who shook his head and motioned them to hurry.

The girls rushed to comply, dressing with shaky hands as Cas politely looked away trying to make the Omegas as comfortable as they could be, undressing in a room with a strange Alpha. Once dressed and carrying a rolled up blanket each, Dean again warned them about silence and Cas listened at the door for a few seconds before cautiously opening it and checking the corridor.

Seeing it was clear, he motioned for the Omegas to follow and crept back the way they came. The tension filled air reeked of scared Omega and Cas had never felt more uncomfortable in his life, his Alpha instincts were going into overdrive and he could feel the anxiety like an itch under his skin.

Ushering the group into the kitchen, he followed them in and then shut and locked the door.

The Omegas stood in place, unsure and waiting for direction. Cas motioned for Dean to wait as he tried to make for Alistair's quarters. “What? Why the hold up?” whispered Dean as he frowned at Cas.

“Grab some supplies, things we can eat and drink on the move. We are going to have to put a great deal of distance between us and this place before we can stop. It'll be light soon, so hurry.” whispered Cas. Dean nodded and motioned for Jo to help him.

Less than five minutes later Dean and Jo came back from the pantry with a small bag of supplies and a large flask of water. Dean stifled a chuckle at Cas standing awkwardly with the rest of the group, trying his best not to seem threatening to the traumatised Omegas. Charlie seemed to be holding up well, but Amy looked like she was about to pass out. Her injuries from the beating she had received were still fresh and her breathing was slightly laboured.

Dean took a moment to explain the next part of the plan in a hoarse whisper “We're going out through Alistair's quarters, it ain't pretty and stinks real bad, so don't touch nothin'.” He smiled and looked at Cas who suddenly froze and turned wide panicked eyes at the group. From the corridor they could hear voices.

Cas put his finger to his lips, the signal for silence and gestured towards the door of Alistair's rooms. The voices were clearer now, they were in the corridor just outside the kitchen heading towards the guards quarters.

Moving swiftly, the group headed through the door, which Cas locked securely behind them.

Cas spoke to the group for the first time, his face like stone. “We're out of time, the guards are changing shifts, we have to go now.” Dean nodded, any second now the guards would realise the Omega dorm was empty and raise the alarm. “Okay, through that window and around 20ft away is a truck, me and Cas are in the front and you guys are in the back. Get in and cover yourselves with your blankets and don't move, no matter what. It's nearly over, guys.” He bundled everyone into a hug and had to stifle a hysterical giggle when Charlie pulled a reluctant Cas into the scrum as well. 

They separated and a blushing Cas made for the window first. He peered out then turned around and nodded. Jumping through he stood and signalled for the next person. Jo went first. Dean helped lift her, passing her to Cas who helped her down and waved her towards the truck, Amy came next and set off after Jo, then Charlie, who almost stumbled as Dean jumped out immediately behind her. Jo, Charlie and Amy clambered into the back of the truck and laid down in the flat bed. Trying to arrange themselves amongst the cans of spare fuel, they held on to each other and braced themselves.

Dean jumped into the cabin quickly followed by Cas, who immediately pulled out a gun. “I guess you really are sittin' shotgun” quipped Dean, as he snatched the keys from Cas, picking out the truck key and inserting it into the ignition. Cas rolled his eyes, but smiled. The engine roared to life, the silence shattered and Dean shouted “Hold on!” and stamped on the accelerator, the truck jumped forwards throwing a huge cloud of dust in it's wake.

The truck shot towards the gate, it was massive and looked pretty solid, there was no way they would be able to ram it open. The guards on the walls began to realise something was wrong and were shouting to each other and pulling their rifles into their hands.

Cas leaned out of the open window of the truck and opened fire on the guards nearest the gate, they twirled and dropped like broken marionettes and Cas ducked back inside the cabin as the guards on the walls began to open fire. Cas had been correct about the night blindness, the guards vision was compromised and they missed every shot.

“Shit! Cas we need to get that gate open!” shouted Dean, wrestling the wheel as he skidded to a stop just in front of the gate. He threw open the door of the truck as Cas did the same on his side and they both heaved at the bolts holding the gate closed, pushing it open they ducked when the guards the other side of the gate lifted their rifles and started firing. They fled back to the truck and Dean opened the drivers side door, ducking down behind it, while Cas simply threw himself through the open window.

Dean threw the truck into gear and stamped on the accelerator again, switching on the headlights as he did so, the truck twitched and then gripped the dusty ground and shot forward, straight at the now blinded guards firing indiscriminately at the truck.

Cas leaned out of the window and opened fire again, forcing the guards to duck and roll out of the way as the truck burst through the gateway and thundered down the cracked and split road, out into the desert, the sound of gunfire dropping off as the truck turned out of sight.

“WOO HOO!” screamed Dean and he pumped his fist as the other gripped the steering wheel as the truck bounced along at top speed. “Everybody good back there?” he called through the tiny window in the back of the cabin.

“No, you crazy bastards, we are not okay!” squealed Charlie.

Dean risked a look behind him and burst out laughing at the Omegas who were tangled in a heap after being thrown around by the rough ride. Poor Amy was looking a little sick, Charlie looked furious and Jo was cackling and doing a victory dance, balanced on her knees and pumping her fists in the air.

He turned back to the road and heard Cas chuckling next to him. “Feels good, right?”said Dean, smiling. “Very” said Cas dryly, he leaned in closer to Dean with a serious look on his face “Dean, I know I said to keep driving, but I need to make a stop. I have to retrieve something” Cas said, frowning.

“What, man? What can be that important?” said Dean, glancing at Cas worriedly.

“I need my pack, I can't leave without it, it contains the reason I was out here in the first place.” said Cas, his face morose. “Sure, man. I mean you did just break us out, so you gonna finally explain why you were even there?” said Dean, looking over at Cas, who was leaning forward scanning the desert. “Yes, once we get my pack, I can show you when we make camp tonight.” Cas promised, his voice grave.

“Cool, so where we headed?” said Dean. “Uh, about a mile ahead is a giant rock shaped like a boat, It's there.” said Cas, his expression relieved.

“Holy fuck!” exclaimed Dean, reaching towards Cas' knees. Cas jumped as Dean reached down between his knees to something on the floor of the cabin. “It's my radio! The bastard ripped it out of my car when I was taken. He put it in his truck!” Dean was so excited he took his eyes off the road and the truck began to drift to the right, its wheels edging the lip of a dry culvert.

Cas panicked and grabbed the back of Deans shirt, pulling him out from where Dean effectively had his head in Cas' lap whilst reaching to the floor. “Eyes on the road, Dean!” he growled as Dean tugged the wheel sharply to the left to correct the drift. “I thought you said you could drive?” snapped Cas.

“Relax, man. It's fine. I need that radio to call Bobby. I need to find out if my brother is ok.” said Dean, who was trying to seem as he wasn't spooked by the truck almost going off road and into a ditch, but not doing a very good job of it.

The faint protests of the ladies in the back of the truck filtered through the window and Dean held up a hand and called back an apology. “My bad!”.

“Don't do that again.” said Cas, grumpily “We're almost there, that's the rock I was talking about.” Dean looked at where Cas was pointing, the silhouette of the rock stood out against the gradually lightening sky. He slowed down and steered towards it. Pulling up a few minutes later, he let the truck idle as Cas jumped out and ran over towards a shrub growing off to one side. He turned to the tiny window at the back of the cabin to talk to the girls “Hey, ladies does anyone need the bathroom? This is the last stop for a while” he chuckled as all three of the Omegas scrambled out of the truck bed and disappeared behind a rock.

He finally got a chance to look at the radio, it wasn't working. Alistair hadn't connected it right. He fiddled with the wires and connections, only looking up when Cas climbed back into the truck with a dusty pack and smile on his face. “I think I can get this to work, hang on.” said Dean, mostly to himself. The other Omegas were climbing back into the truck, arranging the blankets and other items to make themselves more comfortable for a long journey.

“Hah! That's it!” crowed Dean as the radio suddenly crackled to life, fizzing with static. Cas couldn't help but smile at Dean's joy.

“Fuck yeah! Lets see if we can find Bobby on this thing.” he began to click through the channels one by one, until the static cleared and he spoke into the handheld mic

 

“Bobby? Bobby, it's Dean. You there man?” the static fizzed for a second before a voice replied

 

“ _Dean? Holy cow, amigo! Are you okay? Where you at, dude? We've been lookin' everywhere for you.”_

 

Dean gasped “ Garth? Garth, you magnificent bastard! I could kiss you! Is my brother there? Is he ok? Did he get away?” he babbled into the mic.

 

“ _Slow down, amigo. Sam is A-okay. He's here. Jess has gone to get him and Bobby. Are you alright?”_

 

Cas leaned forward, concern on his face when Dean let out a sob and tears rolled down his face.

Dean gripped Cas' shoulder and wept with relief. Sammy was safe.

 

“I am now, Garth. I'm alright now.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*  
> The chapter is late because my ongoing health issues caused a stay in hospital. My own brain tried to kill me, Medical students attempted a lumbar puncture and didn't use enough lidocaine, and I almost got sent to have brain surgery by accident. Oh yeah, soooo much fun. I get all the best experiences. Really.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is short, but contains some important plot points for upcoming chapters.   
> I'm pleased that some readers are happy that I wrote Charlie into the story, I kind of love her a lot. I still feel robbed that she was taken from us *sob*. I also have a huge soft spot for Garth, the idgit really does kind of grow on you.

**Chapter Nine**

 

Sam stood to one side as he watched Bobby mark out the area where Garth's cabin would go with stakes and string. The older man was muttering under his breath and pacing occasionally, stopping every now and again to shift a stake or kick a rock out of the way. The sun was barely above the horizon, but Bobby had wanted to get an early start and make the most of the light of day.

Garth had insisted his cabin didn't need to be big, or fancy, but Bobby didn't do things by halves. So Sam had been recruited into chopping down trees and digging through the salvage for days to find materials to build the cabin and furnish it.

Sam had discovered the full extent of Bobby's plans included turning the Singer homestead into a full sized settlement. Garth and Jess already had plans for cabins on the property. During Sam's recovery, Bobby, Garth and Jess had sat up into the night discussing the forming of a clan and a militia to protect it whilst Sam slept. The settlement that Sam and Dean had been born in had been nearby, but when the rogue clan had attacked, the residents had scattered. Bobby had been the only one to stay, as a widowed Alpha he didn't need to fear a raid.

 

Jess had made her interest in courting Sam with the intention to mate clear a few days ago, apparently deciding that the direct approach was needed to finally get the dumbest smart person on earth to notice her.

In fact, Bobby had noticed the way they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking and although it had amused him at first, he soon tired of the longing looks and sad sighs and decided that an intervention was in order.

He had pulled Jess aside and told her that the subtle approach was wasted on Sam, if she wanted him, she'd have to be blatant about it. She had stepped it up, Sam had finally noticed her and flirted back, and now poor Bobby and Garth were drowning in UST.

Sam was a little hesitant, he still felt guilt at the thought of being happy when Dean was missing, but holding back was getting harder and harder. Mating with Jess was on his mind almost as much as finding Dean these days. He had asked her to wait a while and she had agreed, wanting Sam to be sure before exchanging bite marks.

 

Sam took his hands out of his pockets and turned as Jess suddenly yelled from the porch of Bobby's house on the other side of the yard, he couldn't make out what she was saying but she seemed excited. Bobby stopped his quiet mutterings and looked up, Jess was running across the yard towards them squealing almost incoherently.

“Jess, we can't understand you. What's going on?” shouted Sam, utterly bemused at Jess with her uncharacteristic excitement.

 

She skidded to a stop next to Sam, panting and pointing at the house “Dean is... on the...radio!” she finally panted out, breathless.

 

“Well, why didn't you say so?” yelled Bobby, as Sam took off at a sprint towards the house, quickly followed by Jess and Bobby.

Sam almost broke the front door off it's hinges in his haste to get in the house, he ran down the hallway and threw himself into the library where Garth was sitting at the radio.

 

“I got Sam here now, Dean. I think he wants to talk to you” chuckled Garth into the mic.

 

Sam grabbed the mic from Garth “Dean? Dean, is it really you? Are you alright?” he almost sobbed into the mic.

 

“ _ It's me, Sammy. I'm alright. You made it to Bobby's like I told you, I'm proud of you.” _ Dean's voice was full of emotion, he sounded like he was having trouble speaking. 

 

“Where are you, Dean? We're gonna come get you, me and Bobby. We've been looking for you for months!” Sam was openly crying now. Jess and Bobby were standing either side of him, Jess stroking his hair and Bobby with a hand on his shoulder.

 

“ _I'm coming to you. I got a couple of stops to make on the way, gotta drop some people off. I just wanted to tell you guys, I'm coming home. I....I missed you..”_ The sounds of Dean sobbing came out of the radio and everyone in the room was now crying, even Bobby was manfully wiping tears from his eyes. 

 

“We missed you too, Dean. I swear, we tried to find you. We didn't give up. I promise.” Sam choked out.

 

A strange deep voice came over the radio startling everyone in the room  _ “Uh...Hello? Um, I'm afraid Dean is a little overcome with emotion. He is finding it difficult to speak. May we call you in a little while? When he has had a chance to collect himself?” _

 

Sam frowned and replied “Uh, sure. Who am I speaking to? Why are you with Dean?”

 

“ _My apologies, Sam. My name is Castiel. I helped your brother escape. Dean can explain the situation fully when he is able. Is Bobby with you? I believe Dean wishes to know that he is alright as well?”_

 

Sam handed the mic over to Bobby, who cleared his throat and spoke into the mic “Dean? I'm here, son. Don't you worry about me, ya idjit. You just come home as quick as you can, you hear me? We'll be waitin'.” Bobby handed the mic back to Sam, who added “Dean? We love you. Call me later, okay?”

 

“ _I'll make sure of it, Sam. We have to go now. He'll call you when we make camp tonight.”_ Castiel sounded a little emotional himself, if a little formal.

 

“Thank you, Castiel. For helping Dean. For bringing my brother back to me. I'll never be able to repay you.” said Sam, gravely.

 

“ _You are welcome. Goodbye Sam.”_

 

“Bye, Castiel, talk to you later, Dean.” Sam sagged as the radio shut off and the conversation was over. Everyone stood frozen for a second, not knowing what to do next. 

Garth suddenly stood up and threw his arms around Sam and howled, crying huge tears that soaked into Sam's shirt. “I'm so happy for you guys! This is the best day, ever!” he sobbed into Sam's neck as Sam awkwardly patted Garth's back and Jess and Bobby looked on in horror.

 

“I think this calls for a drink, I don't care if it's still mornin'.” growled Bobby.

 

 

Castiel dropped the mic and moved the radio out from between him and Dean, Dean was sobbing so hard he could hardly breathe. The scent of his distress filled the cabin of the truck and Cas couldn't bear it. His instincts to protect dictating his actions. He pulled Dean towards himself and held him, gently stroking the back of his neck as Dean buried his head in Castiels shoulder. Charlie, Jo and Amy were also crying now, having heard the conversation and being similarly affected. Cas looked at them mournfully, unsure how to proceed, so he just held Dean until his sobs died down.

Finally cried out, Dean sat up, pulling away from Castiel and looking embarrassed. “Uh..sorry, man. I dunno what happened there. I'm not usually...y'know...uh...” fumbled Dean, wiping his eyes.

“Emotional? That's completely normal, Dean. I think we're all a little emotional right now. It's a lot to process.” said Cas kindly.

“I guess.” said Dean, still looking a little uncomfortable. Dean felt a tiny hand on his shoulder and

turned in his seat so see that Charlie had pushed her arm through the tiny window in the back of the cabin in order to try and comfort Dean. “Dude, it's ok, fuck all that crap that shitty Alphas spout about 'needy, emotional Omegas', that's just because they're selfish assholes with no empathy. Like those mofos back there, wrong people to listen to, dude.” Said Charlie fiercely, winking at Cas who smiled shyly at her.

“Okay, I get it. I'm allowed to have a breakdown. I'll make a note in my diary, maybe pencil one in once a week.” said Dean, jokingly.

“Sounds fun, I might join you.” said Cas dryly “I'll check  _ my _ diary and we can synchronise, let's drink beer, bitch about people we don't like, eat too much food. Really make a day of it.” his face was completely deadpan.

 

Dean stared open mouthed at Cas before exploding into laughter, the truck shook with the force of it and within seconds the whole group were giggling.

 

Charlie twisted around in order to poke Cas, who frowned at the finger Charlie was currently digging into his ribs. “Dude, we just became best friends.” said Charlie, happily. “I'm honoured, thank you.” said Cas, completely seriously. “You should be” warned Charlie, with a wink.

“Right, now that we've all held hands and sung kumbaya, can we decide on where we're gonna go?

We need to get goin'. We're only a couple of miles away from those dicks and I'd feel a hell of a lot safer bein' anywhere but here.” said Dean, gruffly.

“Okay, well. We need to head to where the roadhouse was, folks around there might know if anyone from our families made it and where they are.” said Jo, glancing at Amy. Her son had been taken from her during the raid, they could only hope that someone had taken him in.

Cas nodded and pulled his map out from his pack. “Show me where it is on this map, and I'll guide us there.” he said sagely. Jo pushed her arm through the window and pointed “It's there, it's a trading point, not much to speak of, just the Roadhouse and the market really.” she said with a shrug.

“I estimate two days journey, three at most. There are places we should avoid. Once we can find some shelter for tonight, we'll firm up a plan then. Everyone ok with that?” said Cas looking around at everyone as they all nodded in agreement.

“Dean, if you get tired, I can drive too. We can swap over now if you like. It's not like you got any sleep last night.” said Jo, hopefully.

“Good to know, but I'm fine for now Jo, maybe a little later when this adrenaline has worn off. I'll probably crash hard then.” said Dean, grinning “Get comfy everyone, let's get the fuck away from here before those losers figure out we're still on their doorstep.”

Cas pointed to a place on the map “I think we might find shelter here tonight, it's a sheltered camp site I made note of on my way here, we didn't use it as it was too small for all of my men, but it should be adequate for the five of us. Plenty of cover to hide the truck too.”

Dean nodded, he supposed he would find out Cas' story later when they made camp for the night.

The truck pulled back onto the ruined road and headed out into the morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*  
> This chapter is mostly fluff, but a set up for some future chapters. I have the next 4 or 5 chapters outlined.   
> (Boy, do I have some surprises for you!) I know there isn't a lot of Destiel so far, but to be fair, in this story they only met 2 days ago! It will be a bit of a slow burn. I'm not normally a fan of those, but I'm finding that on the writing side of things, they make more sense.   
> Apparently I'm still a details whore, I have to edit harshly sometimes, then I always worry that I've taken too much out. I don't want it to be too dialogue heavy, but I don't want to get bogged down describing every little detail about the scene.   
> I'm still trying to find the balance, but I guess that's what I'm here for, to learn and grow as a writer.
> 
> As always your comments and kudos keep my ego from turning on me and eating me alive. Thank you!

**Chapter Ten.**

 

They had arrived at the camp site in the late afternoon, Jo had taken over driving after a couple of hours and Charlie had agreed to act as shotgun and map reader, Dean and Cas had climbed into the back of the truck with Amy and both had promptly fallen into a dead sleep side by side, only waking when Amy shook them awake as they got close to their chosen camp site.

Cas had immediately taken charge, guiding them to the hidden spot within a long dried riverbed protected by a small overhang and directing the Omegas to hide the truck before showing them how to set up camp for the night. Dean had plenty of experience with camping in the wild and covering their tracks, having been on the road for almost his entire life, but deferred to Cas. As far as Dean was concerned, Cas seemed to know what he was doing, and Dean was relieved that the Alpha was competent, challenging an unknown Alpha could be considered suicidal. Although Cas had rescued them and had shown them nothing but kindness so far, he was still an Alpha and a possible threat.

The camp was set up efficiently, the tiny fire was banked low, giving off heat but very little light as the sun began to sink below the horizon. The entire group were gathered, wrapped in blankets and propped against various boulders around the fire-pit in what had been a tiny inlet before the river had been diverted and dried up hundreds of years ago. They listened as Cas told his story, only the occasional sharp intake of breath disturbed the quiet as he described the original mission with his clan brothers, the betrayal, the massacre and then faking his death in order to gather intelligence undetected, to bring down Lucifer's clan, he explained that although he hadn't gone into the compound with the intention of rescuing the Omegas, he had found he was willing to risk discovery in order to save them. His conscience simply wouldn't allow him to leave them. He added that it was unlikely his mission was now compromised, as anyone that had gotten close enough see him was now dead. He felt confident that no-one would know he had even been there. It would probably be reported that the Omegas had escaped on their own.

The Omegas sat in stunned silence as Cas finished his story, his shoulders slumped and his face drawn. Even without giving too many details, reliving the deaths of his friends had been an ordeal. His clan had never really been supportive of Castiel or his views, but they had still been his family.

Charlie was the first to break the long silence, her voice slightly wobbly as she crawled towards Cas and took his hand, her knees sinking into the dry dusty earth as she knelt at his side. “Cas, we'll never be able to thank you enough for what you did for us.” she looked around in the fading light to see the rest of the group nodding in agreement. “I'm so sorry your friends were killed. You've lost just as much to Lucifer as we have. I...I really want to help you get that fucker. I really do.” Charlie squeezed Castiel's hand and her eyes were glassy with tears. He smiled gratefully at her and squeezed back. “Well, you wouldn't be any sort of best friend if you didn't” he joked quietly, causing Charlie to chuckle as she wiped at her eyes with her free hand.

Dean suddenly spoke up, his voice soft. “So, what are you gonna do now?”

Castiel patted Charlie's hand affectionately and looked over at Dean before replying with a smile “I would first like to see you all safe, and then I must get this information back to my clan. Even after the murder of so many of my clan brothers, they still have the numbers to destroy Lucifers clan.” his expression changed to one of barely concealed anger as he added “I also want the chance to confront Uriel. I want to know why. With this information, and the identity of Uriels contact in Lucifers clan, I can prove he did it, but not why. My clan leader, Michael, is fond of Uriel. He is close with Raphael, Uriels older brother. Michael will accept nothing less than absolute proof of his guilt.”

Charlie squeezed Castiels hand again and moved back to her spot leaning against a boulder, wrapping herself securely in her blanket. She looked thoughtful and a little sad. “I know Dean has a place to go, but do any of the rest of us? My clan kicked me out because I kinda have an aversion to dicks. The bigoted fuck-buckets.”She sighed in annoyance “Like, just because I'm an Omega I should want to be jumping on a knot and breeding twenty-four seven.” she shuddered and continued “I was at the Roadhouse because I had nowhere else to go.” She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and looked so broken that even Jo was visibly moved. 

“Me too.” whispered Amy. “Well, sort of. I mean obviously I like... uh...dicks.” The darkness hid her red face as the others huffed with quiet laughter. “But I had nowhere else to go either. The Alpha who got me pregnant was suffering from bond break from his previous Omega. He wouldn't mate me. I had to leave because my father would have... yeah.” she trailed off sadly. “I hope my little boy is okay.” she breathed out a sob.

Jo spoke up, her voice uncharacteristically soft and leaned over to squeeze Amy's knee through the cotton pants they all wore. “I lived at with my parents at the Roadhouse my whole life. Now it's gone, my dad is gone, but I'm willing to bet my mom is still nearby. There is no way she would leave the survivors to struggle, I can guarantee that she is looking after Amy's little boy. She'll be prepared to raise him as if he were her own. He's safe, Amy, I promise you. You know how it is, kids are precious. No-one would hurt him. There was probably a fight over who would get to look after him. Look, I don't know where we will go after we find them, but I do know you'll be welcome to join us. My mom wouldn't have it otherwise.”

“Fuck sake, Bobby would fuckin' skin me alive if I left you all with nowhere to go, and Sam would help him salt and burn my body.” Dean suddenly blurted, sitting up angrily as if offended that they thought he would abandon them. “It's simple, we make a stop at the Roadhouse to pick up the strays, and head to Bobby's. He'll put us all up until we figure shit out.” Dean said decidedly, sitting back and crossing his arms, clearly considering the matter closed.

“Uh, I'd feel better about that if you had actually spoken to Bobby about it, Dean.” said Charlie, doubtfully.

“Don't need to, I just know. But I get it, you don't know him like I do. If you want I'll call him now if you need to hear it from him yourself. I promised I'd fill him and Sam in anyway after we made camp. So, now I know what the plan is, I can tell 'em.” said Dean, smiling widely and standing.

Dusting off his clothes, he walked towards the truck before turning around and gesturing to Charlie to follow. She scrambled to her feet, almost tripping on her blanket in her haste and Cas darted forward to steady her. She mumbled out an embarrassed “Thanks dude” before hurrying after Dean.

The sun had now completely set and there was no moon in the clear sky, the stars put on a dazzling display as the remainder of the group settled in around the fire, content to enjoy the quiet of the night.

 

In the truck, Dean had managed to radio Bobby and Sam, the conversation was a difficult one. He struggled through a brief and vague description of his time as a prisoner and refused to go into detail even when pushed, Bobby and Sam eventually backed off, knowing Dean would cut the conversation short otherwise. Dean did describe the escape in detail however. Charlie gasped as Dean described Cas disabling Alistair with a rattlesnake in a bag and squealed outright as he mentioned them dumping Alistair in the pit to die slowly. It was the first time she had heard the story and she was overjoyed at the poetic justice Alistair had received. Bobby and Sam were similarly impressed and insisted that Dean tell them again in more detail when he got home.

Charlie sat and listened to the conversation between the Winchesters and Bobby, they bantered and insulted each other, but the love they had for each other was unmistakeable, she felt a tiny pang of jealousy and loss at not having that strong bond with anyone. She curled up on the bench seat of the truck and nervously chewed her nails as she waited for Dean to ask Bobby the question that had her so on edge.

Dean, noticing that Charlie was practically vibrating in her seat, smiled at her reassuringly and decided to put her out of her misery.

 

“Okay, I have my friend Charlie here with me, she's responsible for all of the high pitched squealing you've been overhearing” said Dean, laughing and trying to dodge the punches that Charlie was peppering him with.

 

“I told her already... knock it off! I'm asking him!...Anyway, as I was saying, I told her already, but she wants to hear it from you, it's okay if I bring a few people back with me, until they get on their feet, right? They got no place else to go.” said Dean, as Charlie wriggled impatiently.

 

“ _Boy, if they been through the same crap as you have, that makes 'em family. You bring 'em here and we'll go from there. We got big plans of our own in the makin'. Pretty sure we can work in a few more folk on top of what we already got goin'”_ Bobby said gruffly.

 

Charlie looked at Dean as her mouth dropped open in shock. Dean looked smug in an 'I told you so' type of way.

 

Then Dean frowned as he recounted exactly what Bobby had said.

 

“Wait a minute, what big plans?” he demanded.

 

“ _We'll explain when you get here. Although it was kind of your idea really.”_ said Sam, sounding proud.

 

“My idea? What are you trying to pin on me this time, bitch?” joked Dean, as Charlie gasped and then laughed.

 

“ _Let's just say, we took your idea about closer ties with friendly clans and ran with it. Jerk.”_ said Sam, who was now laughing too. 

 

“Right. That filled in so many blanks for me. Thanks man.” said Dean, sarcastically.

 

“ _You're welcome.”_ said Sam, smugly. _“You have any idea on a timeline for getting back or how many people you are bringing?”_

 

“Not yet on the timeline. That depends on a few things, gotta find a couple of people first, family of the other Omegas with me. Jo's mom and Amy's kid. So... seven so far. Although Cas will be heading back out almost straight away. He's gotta get back to his clan, 'cause some shady shit is goin' on there and he needs to warn 'em.” Dean left out Cas' plans to take down Lucifer, it required a lot of explanation best saved for later. 

 

“ _Cas? Oh, you mean Castiel. Trust you to shorten his name. So he's gonna make sure you get home and that's it? He rides off into the sunset? Sounds like a mysterious hero from those books Bobby pretends he doesn't read. Well, at least we get to meet him first, I suppose.”_ said Sam incredulously and more than a little sarcastically.

 

Dean laughed out loud at Sam's description of Cas.

 

“Sammy, you have no idea. Whatever picture you have of him in your head, I guarantee it's wrong. I was wary of him at first, he's an Alpha, y'know? Turns out he risked more than just his life to save us. We can trust him.” said Dean looking at Charlie who was furiously nodding. 

 

Bobby's gruff voice crackled out of the radio.

 

“ _Boy, he's bringin' you back to us. It's all I need to know about the guy to know he's alright. I'm still gonna ask him some questions, 'cause I'm a paranoid bastard. Right, I'm assumin' that whoever yer bringin' is mostly Omegas, right? So, I'm gonna set up the panic room for 'em. Just until we can get everyone situated. Nothing fancy, but it's better than the alternative.”_

 

“Right now, we're sleeping on a dry riverbed with rocks for company and there aren't enough blankets for everyone. So, yeah. The panic room sounds good. Thanks Bobby.” said Dean, sounding tired but happy.

 

“ _Yer fuckin' welcome. Now I'm goin' to bed. Looks like I got a lot to do over the next few days, I need my beauty sleep. You be careful, ya hear me?”_ Bobby gruffed out.

 

“Sure, when have you known me not to be?” grinned Dean.

 

“ _You want a list? I'll still kick your ass, boy. Now go get some sleep. Say g'night, Sam.”_

There was brief static as the mic changed hands and Sam's voice took over from Bobby's

“ _Goodnight Sam.”_

 

Dean and Charlie both chuckled at Sam's antics.

 

“Goodnight fellas. I'll keep you posted. I can't wait to see you guys.”

 

“ _Same here, hurry home. Speak soon.”_

 

Switching the radio off, Dean turned to Charlie and smiled. “See, told you.”

Charlie looked slightly awed at the turn of events. “You did, I'm sorry I didn't believe you.” she smiled happily and continued “So, Bobby and Sam seem pretty awesome, I can't wait to meet them in person.”

Deans smile grew even wider and his eyes shone with pride “Yeah, they are. C'mon, lets go reassure the others of a warm welcome.”

Dean climbed out of the truck and helped Charlie down from the cabin before closing the door and taking her elbow, helping guide her over the rough terrain in the almost pitch black.

 

Back at the fire Cas was the only one still awake, the others had nodded off leaning against each other back to back sharing the same blanket, making Dean smile as he remembered doing the same with Sam when they were younger.

“Hello Dean, Charlie.” Castiel's voice was even deeper and more gravelly than usual as he squinted up at them from his blanket, clearly exhausted. “It went well, I hope?” he said quietly, not wishing to disturb the sleeping pair.

Dean felt a strange warm feeling in his chest as he looked at the sleepy Alpha. He had to admit, even if it was just to himself, the Alpha looked adorable when he was fighting sleep.

“Yeah Cas, it went well. Everyone's got a place to go.” he whispered back as he arranged his blanket into a bed.

“By the way, the river isn't gone. It was just diverted a little further upstream. It's just behind that hill. We can replenish our water supplies and even have a bath if you want, I have some soap if anyone wants it.” said Cas, fighting back a yawn.

“Oh, a bath! Dibs on the first one! I feel like I've been dirty forever and I smell like a peasant.” groaned Charlie, settling in to her bed.

“Well, we can't have that, your majesty. So a bath it is.” said Dean, pulling the blanket up around his ears.

The sounds of soft breathing were the only noises as one by one, the group fell asleep.

 

 

Bobby sat at the kitchen table, pretending to read a book on crop rotation and farm irrigation techniques. In reality he was carefully observing Sam and Jess making a mess of breakfast as they pretended they weren't nervous about something. Bobby wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what was going on.

He figured the starry eyed looks at each other and blushing this morning meant one thing, they had finally 'tied the knot' so to speak. He smiled into his beard as he remembered it had been the same with his mate, Karen. He couldn't be happier for them, Jess was a good Alpha, and perfect for Sam. After everything they had all been through, it seemed right that some good had come out of it.

 

“So, are you two idjits gonna spit it out, or what?” said Bobby, not looking up from his book.

“Uh..” stalled Sam, looking like a startled deer. Jess looked nervous, and moved nearer to Sam in a protective gesture, poised ready to fight.

“I ain't blind. I ain't mad either, so cut the Alpha crap.” he said looking at Jess, who blushed and relaxed her posture. “Sorry Bobby.” she said

“That's alright, I was the same with Karen. First couple of months after we mated, I couldn't leave her side. Damn near growled at anyone who even looked at her funny.” said Bobby, gently.

Sam was blushing furiously as he finally found his voice.

“We were going to wait, but then with Dean coming home and everything, we were up late talking after you went to bed and, well...”

“ 'One thing led to another'. Yes boy, I know how it works. Congratulations, ya idjits. I suppose I'd better add a nursery to my list of projects. As if I ain't got enough to do around here.” said Bobby, his mock scowl in place as his eyes twinkled in mirth.

Sam and Jess both took on slightly panicked expressions at the mention of a nursery, and Bobby chuckled. “Don't tell me, I have to explain how it all works to you young'uns.” his eyes twinkled in mischief this time “Now, when an Alpha and an Omega love each other very much...”

“BOBBY!” Sam almost shrieked in horror, his face burning in embarrassment. Bobby had given up all pretence at being serious and was laughing so hard his chair was shaking alarmingly, the joins squealing in protest.

Jess and Sam stood in an uncomfortable silence, barely daring to look at each other until Bobby finally managed to compose himself.

“Aww hell, I'm sorry kids. I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm happier than a dog with two tails for ya. Now, can someone make some breakfast? I wasn't jokin' about having a ton of shit to do, and daylights burnin'.” Bobby's tone was gruff, but he smiled as he stood up to put the book away that he had been pretending to read.

“Thanks Bobby.” Sam's voice was wobbly as he continued with making breakfast, managing to rescue an edible meal out of the mess he and Jess had made while they tried to gather the courage to tell Bobby that they were mated.

Bobby walked back to the table and began passing things to Jess to set the table.

“No problem, son. It's a good thing. You got no reason to be nervous tellin' me you two got mated. Dean might be a little pissed that he didn't meet Jess first, but he'll get over it.”

He took a seat and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “Say, a long time ago, folks used to have a celebration when couples paired off for life. You think when Dean gets back, you wanna do something like that? Might help bring him round a bit quicker?”

Sam and Jess had begun bringing food to the table but paused and looked at each other, Sam looked hopeful and Jess shrugged and nodded. Sam's smile was radiant. His nervousness from earlier was all but forgotten as he turned to Bobby and said “Bobby, you're a genius.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*   
> I had fun writing this chapter. I can't decide what made me laugh more, Cas making a hipster burger at camp, Dean having a Mr Darcy moment a la Pride and Prejudice, or Charlie and Jo messing with Dean.   
> Sam and Jess are so cute, it makes me squee and Bobby and Garth are heroes for dealing with it. 
> 
> I played around with POV and switching scenes back and forth in this chapter, I hope it worked. I don't go into the characters heads too much as I want it to read like an episode. We don't get to see the thought process in canon, and it leaves a lot to interpretation. 
> 
> There are some heavy chapters to come, I have 4-5 chapters outlined already and the overall story arc is complete now. I have some surprises in store and I hope you will like them (or not mwahahaha!). Finding time to write is difficult at the moment, I live by the beach, so summer is busy for me when the fam descends on me for a free holiday every year. I'll try.

**Chapter Eleven.**

 

Bobby unveiled the plans for the new settlement just after breakfast. It would be a huge project, and would take many hands and a lot of time to build. The first stage of the plan was accommodation. They needed a space for people to live in whilst the rest of the settlement could be built. Garth's cabin would be first, he need a separate space to work his distillery set up and they would need a lot of ethanol in order to fuel the vehicles and machinery necessary for construction. Then a dormitory for the workers that had agreed to help set up the buildings necessary for infrastructure.

 

During their late night chats when Sam was recovering, the group had discussed what was necessary for a clan to function. Jess, being a medic had argued for a clinic. Bobby had suggested a town hall, to hold meetings and settle grievances. Sam had later suggested a library/school. With lessons being split 50/50 with both academic skills and practical skills. That way the whole settlement could have a hand in teaching the children valuable life skills. The list went on, and Bobby had taken everything into account, pouring his heart and soul into planning a working settlement.

The result had taken everyone's breath away, it was beautiful in its design.

 

Garth broke the silence first. “Bobby, I only got one question.”

Bobby frowned “One question?” he gruffed, sounding wary.

 

Garth's face split into a big goofy grin and said “If you can design this, why ain't y'all livin' in a better house?”

 

 

Dean woke up to the smell of roasting meat and the sun already well above the horizon. His mouth watered and his stomach grumbled loudly as he sat up and laid eyes on Castiel cooking what appeared to be a rabbit over the coals of the fire. He was alone.

“Where are the others?” said Dean, worriedly. He began to untangle himself from the blanket as he looked around for any of the other Omegas.

“Bathing in the river. They shouldn't be much longer, the river is far too cold still for more than a quick wash. I was surprised the shrieking didn't wake you up, but you didn't even stir.” said Cas chuckling as he adjusted the skewered meat over the coals.

“It's been a while since I felt safe enough to sleep comfortably, I guess I'm trying to catch up.” Dean admitted quietly, not meeting Castiels eyes.

“I can imagine. The others said something similar when they woke up this morning.” said Cas gently, sensing Deans discomfort over the admission. To Deans relief, he changed the subject.

“The meat is ready, there is some flat bread and goat cheese in the bag, and water in the flask. Once the girls come back, I think I'll take a bath myself. I imagine after you've eaten you'll want the same?”

Dean nodded, taking one of the meat skewers and blowing on it, cooling it enough before biting into the meat with gusto. With his mouth full he finally answered “Yeah, a bath sounds good right now, we're gonna all be up close and personal in the truck for a couple more days, might be better not to smell bad. I'll go down to the river once you come back.”

Cas nodded and then his eyes tracked over Deans shoulder, Dean turned to see the girls coming over the hill, all of them dressed in the cotton pants and shirts from the compound, but looking happier than he'd ever seen them. They all had pink faces, damp hair and big smiles.

Dean and Cas shared a smile at the girls obvious joy.

At the scent of food, the girls almost ran back to the fire, where Cas began handing out the meat skewers and finally taking one for himself.

Dean finished his meat skewer and took a long drink from the water flask before turning to Cas with a confused look on his face.

“Hey, Cas. How come you can't drive?” said Dean, reaching for the bread.

Cas shrugged and answered. “There aren't a lot of roads in the mountains, the terrain is not exactly car friendly. We use horses mostly, for riding and farm work. It just makes more sense up there.”

Dean suddenly remembered Sam's comment about 'riding off into the sunset' and looked over at Charlie as she seemed to remember the same thing. She grinned and Dean blushed.

“So, do you have a horse?” Charlie asked, looking innocent. Dean suddenly felt murderous towards her.

Cas smiled wide, his eyes crinkling in the corners and he seemed to brighten visibly.

“Yes, I do. An American cream draft horse. One of the few large breeds left, and he is quite the specimen. He can be a little temperamental, but I raised him from a foal, and he trusts me. His name is Hemingway.” Castiels pride in his horse was evident. “Although Balthazar refers to him as Haemorrhoid, because, and I quote, “he's a pain in the ass”. He's not wrong, but Balthazar does make it worse somehow.”

Everyone chuckled at that.

Dean passed some bread over to Cas, who began stripping the meat off his skewer and putting it into the bread as the others watched.

“You said Balthazar was your best _friend_ , right?” said Dean, watching with interest as Cas crumbled some cheese from the bag into the bread and ignoring Charlie's knowing look at Dean.

“Yes, we grew up together. He's outgoing and sarcastic, considered much to opinionated for a Beta. After my brother, Gabriel, left the clan, he became another brother, of sorts. He looked out for me and my twin sister, Hannah.” said Cas, looking appraisingly at his food creation. “This needs some onion and tomato to be perfect, but I suppose this will do.” He took a huge bite and his eyes rolled back in ecstasy. “This makes me very happy.” he smiled.

“Someone is easily pleased.” smiled Jo, making Cas blush slightly. “Wait 'till you taste my mom's cooking. I swear, she makes an apple pie that will make you see God.” Jo had a far off dreamy look on her face.

“Pie? I love pie! We need to go get your mom as soon as possible. I can drive through the night if I have to. I need that pie, Jo.” demanded Dean, making the others laugh at the almost ferocious look on Deans face.

“Calm down, Dean. My mom will be so happy to see me, she'll make you guys so many pies, you'll be sick of them.” laughed Jo.

“Sick of pie? Not possible.” sneered Dean.

“You have a twin sister?” said Amy, timidly.

“Yes, she's a Beta. We are quite close, except for when she constantly nags me to take a mate. It's...complicated.” said Cas, frowning.

Cas finished eating and stood, brushing crumbs off his clothes. “I'd better get washed up, I'll be back soon.” He took the soap from Charlie, who held it out for him as he passed and strode off up the small hill towards the river. The entire group watched him go. Dean turned back to look at the three girls to see that they weren't even trying to hide the fact they were ogling the Alphas ass.

Charlie leaned in close. “Okay, seriously.  _ Please  _ tell me one of you is going to hit that, because he is one sexy motherfucker” she leered.

“I thought you had an aversion to dicks, or whatever?” said Dean, annoyed for some reason.

Charlie waved her hands dismissively and replied, “Oh, I do. But I also have eyes, and that is one dreamy Alpha. Now, one of you is gonna go dangle off of his knot and then come back and tell the rest of us  _ all _ about it. I want details, so pay attention. There  _ will _ be a quiz.” 

“Charlie! Jesus Christ!” Dean hissed as Jo giggled and Amy looked uncomfortable.

“I don't mind taking one for the team.” drawled Jo, slyly. Her eyes slid to Dean and then she winked at Charlie.

“That's my girl! Remember, we want details.” said Charlie winking back.

“Hey! He's not a piece of meat!” said Dean, angrily.

Jo woefully attempted an innocent face “Oh, sorry. Am I stepping on your toes? Just say the word and I'll stand aside.” she said smartly.

“What? No! I just don't like it when people are objectified.” denied Dean, his face beginning to go pink.

“Sure, Dean. Don't think I didn't miss you singing his praises to Sam last night, and the casual check whether Balthazar is his “friend”, seriously, you're transparent dude.” said Charlie, smugly.

“Pffft, you're a....transparent....dude.....shut up!” said Dean, indignantly.

“Really? That's what you come back with? Wow.” said Jo, incredulously.

“I wonder why he isn't mated?” said Amy, questioningly. “It's odd, at his age, you'd expect him to have an Omega and a houseful of kids. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he looked kinda...sad, when he talked about getting mated.”

“Yeah, that was weird.” said Charlie, frowning. “Oooh! Maybe he likes other Alphas? Or he was in love and they mated someone else or died or something? Oh, I bet that's it. He had his heart broken.” she added, a little too excitedly.

“I kinda get that vibe from him too, actually. He seems sad and a little lonely.” mused Jo.

“Guys, he just spent months completely alone and in constant danger after witnessing a massacre. I think that justifies him being sad and lonely.” scoffed Dean. “It's none of our business anyway.”

Dean had long finished eating and stood up, intent on beginning the breakdown of the camp.

“Hey, we're just wondering about the guy. No big deal.” insisted Jo, never one to let anything go.

“I know, but it started out as creepy and went downhill from there. Let's just change the subject.” insisted Dean, an annoyed expression on his face. “C'mon, we got shit to do. Start packing up your crap, so we can get goin' while we're still young.” He began to clear away his bedroll.

The other Omegas reluctantly dropped the subject and began to break down the camp. Repacking the food and water and folding away the blankets. They finished just in time for Cas to come striding back over the hill, half dressed in just heavy denim jeans and boots and carrying his shirt in one hand. Deans mouth went dry as he took in the sight of the Alpha striding towards him. His already dark hair was now almost black from the water, making his already striking blue eyes stand out even more, and his bare chest was muscled, the nipples dark and tight from the cold, his waist was slim with taut abs and a light dusting of hair leading down from his navel, his broad shoulders and muscled arms flexed as he ruffled his wet hair, causing water droplets to spray in all directions, catching the light and looking like sparks.

“Jesus! Put a shirt on before you give us all heart attacks, you half naked heathen!” crowed Charlie, breaking Dean out of his trance. He belatedly realised he had been staring open mouthed at the approaching Alpha and flushed bright red, noting that Cas was now blushing fiercely too as he fumbled his shirt over his head. Dean met Jo's eyes and noticed that she too was a little flushed, and Amy was refusing to look at anyone. Dean was glad that they were in the open air otherwise the smell of Omega arousal would have been choke worthy. Charlie was chuckling to herself.

Cas was visibly flustered. So Dean did the bravest thing he could manage at that moment. He fled. Grabbing the soap from Castiels hand as he sped past, he ran for the river, calling over his shoulder “I'll be right back!” in what he hoped was a steady voice. He refused to look back.

 

 

Sam ran his fingers over the new bite mark where his neck met his shoulder, it had stopped stinging now and had begun to heal over already. Jess smiled at him from the other side of Bobby's workshop as she too ran her fingers over her matching bite. The bond was already strong and close proximity to each other was making them almost drunk from the influx of bonding hormones flooding their systems. For the next few weeks it would be almost painful to separate for any length of time, it would ease off eventually, allowing them longer periods of time apart, but even sitting on opposite sides of the room was like a physical ache right now. Jess gathered up the project she had been working on and cleared it away, not able to go any longer without at least scenting Sam. Joining him at the bench where Sam had been making wooden roof shingles, she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and stood on tip toe to kiss him on the back of the neck, scenting him deeply as she did so. Sam twisted around in her arms and wrapped his arms around Jess, dropping his head into her neck to scent her too. The shiver that went through both of them made them both sigh as they clung to each other almost desperately.

“This feels amazing.” said Jess, as she looked up at Sam, her face full of wonder. “I know. I knew I loved you before, but..wow. This is just so much better than I imagined.” said Sam, his eyes glassy with emotion. “I can feel you, here and here” said Jess, tapping a finger to her temple and then her chest over her heart. “Me too, I'm so glad we didn't wait.” Sam smiled brightly, then he frowned slightly as a stray thought crossed his mind.

“What? Sam what's wrong? I can feel when you are worried about something, tell me. Please?” said Jess, sounding almost desperate to help her Omega, like it was causing her physical pain that Sam was unhappy about something.

“Oh. Sorry Jess, it's nothing, really. I was just thinking again about what Dean will think about us. I know he'll love you, but he'll think he doesn't have a place in my life now that we're mated. When he's hurt, he gets angry and he has a tendency to let his mouth run before his brain kicks in.” said Sam, squeezing Jess a little tighter.

“Well, that's just stupid. Of course he'll have a place. I'll set him straight as soon as he gets here. We'll have a celebration and make him a part of it. Like he'll be a part of our lives going forward. I don't want my Sam to worry about anything.” Jess smiled and went up on tip toes again to kiss Sam gently on the mouth, smiling when he responded eagerly. The kiss became less gentle and more passionate as the bond hummed between them. The air became saturated with the scent of both Alpha and Omega arousal.

“Let's take a little break, shall we?” said Jess, breaking the kiss and winking slyly at Sam, who grinned back.

“Bobby will kill us if we keep sneaking off, but I suppose it's worth it.” said Sam, grabbing Jess by the hand and heading back to the house at a run. Both of them giggling madly.

 

Looking up from feeding the animals in the barn, Bobby saw them go, but just chuckled and rolled his eyes. They'd held out longer than he thought. Idjits.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*  
> Real life got in the way of writing AGAIN. I live just off the beach, and every summer family from all over the country descend on us for a visit. I probably sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. It gives me an excuse to go out to posh bistros, visit art galleries and some of the many, many castles and palaces that are in this part of the country, and most of all, nerd out with my extremely cool 13 yr old nephew, whom I adore. So I've actually had a pretty good time. 
> 
> This chapter gave me a little emotional whiplash. I can't wait to get the next chapters out, because you are going to LOVE what is coming up. When I finally get to Castiel's backstory (already planned out), there are going to be some major surprises. *ominous music* 
> 
> As always comments and Kudos are food for my blackened and withered ego. *puppy eyes*

**Chapter Twelve.**

 

Castiel was struggling with his conscience. He had come across traumatised Omegas in his clan before, many of the Omegas that had been bought and traded for were not happy to be treated like a commodity and some fought, but the biology of the bite always won out. They simply couldn't bear to be away from their Alpha, no matter how much they hated them. The pull was too great. It robbed them of their free will, the bastardized and incomplete mating created a false bond that the Omega lacked the will to escape. 

But this was something else entirely, these Omegas had been abused terribly and had survived it. He admired their strength and tenacity. They had told him little bits and pieces of what had occurred, but they were all reluctant to talk openly about their experiences, he was reluctant to push, but he was also terrified of inadvertently scaring them. He felt Amy was especially vulnerable, she was the most withdrawn of the group, she only spoke to him when directly spoken to and never met his eyes. The others were more open, but still guarded sometimes. They would flinch if someone made a sudden move, laughing at themselves after as if it were a big joke. Even though the smiles never met their eyes. They all laughed and joked, revelling in their new found freedom, but they couldn't quite shed the fear they had endured for so many months. Castiel couldn't understand how Alistair could revel in hurting Omegas, the smell of Omega fear was repugnant and even the worst Alphas in Castiel's clan were repelled by it and avoided causing it if possible. 

Castiel didn't know how to tell Dean and the rest of the group that his clan actively traded Omegas. After their experience, he doubted they would trust him after that, they would probably jump to the conclusion that he intended to keep them all for himself or trade them to the highest bidder. Even though nothing could be further from the truth. It was probably wiser to stay silent on the subject. He had already made up his mind that after destroying Lucifer, he would leave the clan. After many fruitless years of trying to change the minds of the Alphas of the clan, he had realised that they were beyond listening, if he stayed any longer, it would be the same as being complicit in the trade of Omegas. He had come to the same conclusion as Gabriel had all those years ago. He suddenly missed his brother terribly and regretted his resentment of him all these years, he now knew how lonely it must have been to be the only one to stand by his convictions. He wished he knew where Gabriel had gone. 

 

“Penny for 'em?” Deans voice broke through Castiels reverie and he looked over to the drivers side of the truck to where Dean was steering with his right hand, his left arm propped on the sill of the open window, he was grinning.

Cas smiled back and nodded towards the wind shield to indicate that Dean watch the road. 

“I was just thinking about what we'll find when we get to the Roadhouse, from what the others described, it was a bad raid.” he lied, turning his face away to look at the passing scenery to hide that fact.

“Yeah, I guess we'll find out in a couple of hours.” said Dean, thoughtfully. 

 

Almost three hours later they approached a small crossroads with a concrete shell of a building to one side and a pile of blackened timbers to the other, it was all that remained of the Roadhouse. Jo was uncharacteristically silent, her face white and her eyes glassy. 

Dean slowed the truck to a crawl and stopped, parking on a wide area of broken concrete that had been the parking lot of the Roadhouse. Everyone climbed out of the truck warily, they were all armed to a greater or lesser degree. They stuck close to each other as they approached the burned out ruin. 

Jo and Amy were sobbing as Charlie tried desperately to comfort them. Dean and Cas were checking for signs of survivors.

“Cas! Look!” said Dean in a low voice. He pointed to a cleared area in the field next to the ruin. A row of graves with crude markers had been dug and filled in, the mounds already beginning to sink, but not yet grown over. 

Jo's loud gasp indicated that she too had seen the row of graves and she broke from Charlie's grasp and ran towards the tiny graveyard. Amy was close behind. Both of them were desperately searching the grave markers for names, hoping and praying that their loved ones were not among them. Jo sank to her knees in front of the largest grave and sobbed harder as she found her fathers name. Amy sobbed with relief that her son was not among them, she moved to comfort Jo.

 

“Joanna Beth!” a womans voice rang out, surprising them all. They all turned as one to see an older woman standing just a few feet away with a toddler on her hip. Dean wondered how she had managed to approach without alerting any of them, he looked at Cas, who was frowning and clearly wondering the same thing. A large man was standing a few feet behind her, he wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was armed. 

“MOM!” screamed Jo, scrambling to her feet and running towards the woman, Amy gasped and almost fell in her haste to get to the small boy in the woman arms. 

Dean, Charlie and Cas stood back awkwardly as the double reunion between parent and child took place, looking warily at the big guy who hadn't moved, but stood looking bored. 

Jo was babbling between sobs, a broken explanation that made almost no sense as Amy was cradling her now crying child, his face pressed into her neck where he was scenting her deeply as she pressed her nose into his hair and cried silently. 

The older woman was virtually holding Jo up as she cried and she held her fiercely and eyed the rest of the group with suspicion. She gently calmed Jo and slowly turned her so that she was standing behind her, bringing a gun out from the back of the belt pulled tight around the long dress she wore, she pointed it in the direction of the rest of the group, who all stepped back in surprise. The large man still didn't move.

“Now, I remember the redhead. Charlie, ain't it? But I don't know you two fellas, you wanna fill me in on who the hell you are?” she demanded. 

“Mom, no!” shouted Jo, looking mortified. “We all escaped together. They're my friends!”

“That might be the case, but they ain't  _ my _ friends. So I'll ask one more time, who the hell are you?”

Dean looked at Cas who had wisely put his gun away and held his hands out open to the sides to show they were empty and that he wasn't a threat. He too held his hands out and began speaking.

He quickly and calmly explained that he too was an Omega and how he had met Jo and that they had all escaped the compound with Castiels help. 

“I believe you, Dean, is it? But what I don't get, is why this Alpha here, Casteel, or whatever your name is, decided to break them out. What were you doing in a slavers compound, boy? You one of 'em?” said the woman, now pointing the gun directly at Cas and cocking it.

“Whoa! No, no!” said Dean, with a slight hint of panic in his voice. Cas just stared blankly at the woman, as Dean moved to slightly cover Cas with his body, his arms held out in front of him in a placating gesture. 

“Mom! Please, it's not like that. He's one of the good guys!” pleaded Jo, from behind her mother. Amy gripped her child tighter and looked prepared to flee.

 

Cas finally spoke, his gravely voice calm and steady as he slowly pushed Dean aside and out of the line of fire.

“I assure you, I am not a slaver. I personally killed the man who took these Omegas away from their families. He suffered greatly and died slowly and in agony in a way that was fitting for such filth. I was there because my greatest wish is for the real Alpha responsible for all of this to pay for doing this to so many others like yourself. I have information that can destroy his whole clan. I just need to get home so I can organise an army to take them out.” 

 

The rest of the group were furiously nodding in agreement and looking tense at the stand-off. 

 

“Mom, please. It's true. We've all seen the plans ourselves.” begged Jo.

The woman's eyebrows shot up from a frown in surprise as she studied Castiel for signs of deception and apparently finding none, she put the weapon away and smiled, her face lighting up as she did so. 

“Then I guess I owe you my thanks, son.” she approached Cas and he held his hand out in front of himself for her to shake. 

“None of that, you brought my baby back to me, and gave that baby boy there back his mama. You get a hug for that.” she threw her arms around Cas and squeezed as the rest of the group openly laughed at the Alphas stunned expression and pink face as he awkwardly patted her back. When she stepped back she laughed and pinched his cheeks.

“What's got you so flustered, son? Big, bad Alpha keeps his cool with a gun pointed at his face, but blushing like a virgin when he gets a hug? That's adorable!” Castiel looked mortified and she laughed again and stepped back and addressed the whole group. 

“Okay, I'm Ellen. Tall, bearded and brooding over there is Benny, he's an Alpha. He showed up a couple of weeks after the fire lookin' for work, didn't know the place was gone, so I hired him for protection.” The large man gave a small salute and tucked his weapon away out of sight. Ellen carried on “We ain't got much in the way of provisions, but enough for a few days. After the fire, the survivors moved into the marketplace until they recovered and could move on, the last one leaves tomorrow. I was fixin' to move on myself, was gonna tag onto a supply caravan until we found a decent settlement.” said Ellen, looking over at where Amy was still clutching her son tightly. They exchanged a wordless conversation and Ellen's eyes were soft as Amy smiled and kissed her sons head. 

“We got a place to go, Mom. It's safe. Dean knows where it is and we're all welcome.” said Jo, happily. 

“That so? How do you know we'll all be welcome?” said Ellen, suspiciously.

“I already checked with Bobby, Ma'am. He's gonna to put us all up until we can get on our feet. Right now, it's the safest place, what with spring heats comin' up. He has a panic room for all of us Omegas to stay in.” said Dean, looking nervously at the strange Alpha. “I got a radio in the truck, you can ask him yourself if you like.” he added.

“Sounds good, I'll take you up on that, if you don't mind.” said Ellen, stepping back towards Jo and inspecting her, looking for injuries as Jo tried to wriggle away from her grip. “Mom! Quit it, I'm fine. We're just hungry and my ass hurts from sitting on the bare truck bed for days.” said Jo, petulantly. 

“Well, I guess I'd better feed you all then. C'mon, We're set up in there.” said Ellen, pointing to the concrete building. 

“So, Jo mentioned that you make pie?” said Dean cheekily as the whole group began walking towards the marketplace and Ellen laughed.

“I bet she did. I had a tough time gettin' her to eat anything else when she was tiny.” said Ellen, with a little pride in her voice. “I guess this is a celebration after all, I'll make enough for everyone.”

“I knew when I woke up this mornin' that this was gonna be a good day” Dean grinned at Cas and received a wide smile in return. 

Dean looked at Ellen who was studying him intensely. “Uh... what? Do I have something on my face?” 

She smiled and patted his arm. “No, hon, it's just that male Omegas are so rare. I haven't seen more than one or two in my lifetime and always from a distance. The only reason I ever met a female Alpha is because I was sired by one. She died just before Joanna Beth was born and I never met another.” 

“Oh. Okay.” said Dean, uncomfortably. He looked over at Cas and Charlie, who were both frowning at Ellen. 

“Oh, sweetheart. I didn't mean to upset you. I guess I made you feel uncomfortable. I just thought you were an Alpha at first, then when you said you were an Omega I was surprised. Now I'm catching your scent and it's obvious you're an Omega. You must get this all the time and I'm real sorry about that. Folk can be real jerks about it and I just did the same thing. I apologise. Can we start over?” Ellen rambled and looked genuinely contrite. 

Dean looked at Cas, who was still frowning a little and Charlie who shrugged. 

 

“Yeah, I guess, but I better get the biggest piece of pie!” said Dean seriously. 

Ellen looked relieved and huffed out a laugh. “No problem hon.” 

 

 

 

 

Garth checked his distillery set up one more time and made some minor adjustments before leaving the temporary shed that Bobby had loaned him until his cabin and workshop could be finished. 

The work was coming along now, the foundation had been laid and the thick timber walls were now in place, in just a few days it had gone from an idea on paper to the bare bones of a cabin.

He walked over to Bobby's engineering shed to see what else needed to be done that day. Along one wall were stacks of wooden shingle roof tiles and on the table in the centre of the room were several sheets of waxed canvas that would be used as further waterproofing for the roof. Over at the back were several shutters and small odd sized panes of glass, they were yellowed and pitted with age but still functional. Large panes of glass could no longer be made, that art was lost after the collapse. On the other side of the shed were a set of workbenches with several pieces of furniture in various states of completion. Bobby was a master craftsman and had taught Sam and Dean everything he knew, and it showed. Sam had been making a table, and the lathe was still warm from where he had been working on one of the table legs. The table top and legs were laid out on the bench just waiting to be assembled. 

Garth felt a warmth in his chest at the work everyone was doing in order to build his home, they were going above and beyond in his opinion, not simply doing the bare minimum, but taking a little extra time to make his home beautiful. He supposed a little professional pride might be in play here, but Bobby and Sam and even Jess had carefully consulted him on each piece, making sure to involve him in everything. He felt for the first time that he truly belonged. His eyes were moist and his throat was thick as he turned around and jumped in surprise to find Sam in the doorway looking at him oddly.

“Sam! Ya'll scared the B'jesus outta me!” he said with a laugh moving to lightly punch Sam's arm in jest.

“Sorry dude. Hey, you okay man?” said Sam, looking concerned at Garth's trembling lip. 

“I'm just fine, Sam. Just real grateful for the work you folks are puttin' in for me. Ya'll didn't need to, but ya'll are doin' it anyway.” said Garth, with a watery smile. 

“Dude, it's not a problem. It's gonna be your home, you should have it looking how you want it and not falling down around your ears. Bobby would kick my ass if he thought I wasn't putting my best into the job. So, don't think any more about it.” said Sam, patting Garth affectionately on the shoulder. “Anyway, we were wondering where you were, Jess made dinner and I think it might actually be pretty good this time, I really think she's getting better, I hardly had to step in at all. So come on, lets go eat. Bobby got the mead out to go with it.” 

Garth let himself be led by Sam's massive hand on his shoulder to the main house and took his seat at the table, looking down at Jessica's latest experiment in cooking. Sam was right, this one wasn't too bad. Maybe she was getting better. 

Bobby took a sip of his mead and wiped his beard with the back of his hand before he spoke.

“I spoke to Dean, he's got a handful of Omegas and an Alpha comin' with him as well as that Castiel fella. Reckons they'll be here in two days. None of 'em have got anything but the clothes on their backs, they bin' survivin' over winter on next to nothin' after a raid. He says one of 'em has a young'un too. So, Jess, looks like we might be needin' some medic skills. I'm gonna hunt for some extra meat, those poor folks are gonna need feeding up and some fresh duds, so Garth, if you could rustle up some clothin' with your fancy sewin' skills, I'm sure they'd appreciate it. Sam, the panic room needs fitting out for guests, you know where the extra blankets are and my guess is they'll be a little jumpy, so set up your old room for the Alphas, it's as far from the Omegas as we can get 'em.”

Everyone at the table nodded eagerly, glad to have a plan to work from and chores to keep them busy before the anticipation of Deans return made them go crazy.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*  
> I had a super productive week in which I got THREE chapters written. So for once I'm actually ahead of schedule.
> 
> So I'm going to go ahead and warn for possible triggery stuff. A little gore and angst and a cliffhanger.
> 
> I'm sorry.

**Chapter Thirteen.**

 

After the discussion with Bobby over the radio, Dean and Ellen sat down and worked out the logistics of the journey. They had only one vehicle and eight people. It would be a tight squeeze, in an uncovered vehicle for two days. It wasn't ideal for any of them, let alone a small child and Ellen worried for Amy's son, Matthew. Dean agreed, but the fact was they didn't have much choice if they wanted to get to Bobby's without walking for weeks. 

Benny, the large Alpha that Ellen had hired for protection had asked to tag along, he was also without a clan and an extra Alpha for protection whilst on the road was no bad thing. He suggested modifying the truck a little to make the journey a little easier. 

The temporary shelter that Ellen and Matthew had been living in was dismantled and the tarp they had been sleeping under was tied to a light frame that Benny had rigged over the truck bed, it would serve as cover from the worst of the elements on the journey. The padded bedrolls would be laid in the truck bed for the passengers comfort with the blankets Ellen had scrounged up for the survivors of the fire. The fuel cans were tied off to the tail gate and the meagre supplies were stored behind the seats in the drivers cab. They were set for the journey to Bobby's. 

 

Amy and Matthew were placed in the truck bed up behind the cabin in the safest place they could be. Jo and Charlie sat either side against the side of the truck bed. Ellen and Benny sat by the tail gate, heavily armed to repel any unwanted interest. 

Dean and Cas were in the cab. Cas and Benny had definitely  _ not _ hit it off the day before. The two Alphas had barely managed to resist posturing and growling and had both decided that ignoring the existence of the other was in order. Ellen and Dean had rolled their eyes at what Ellen called 'Alpha bullshit' and had wisely decided to separate them for the journey, for the comfort of everyone. 

 

After a full day of driving and more stops than he would have liked, Dean was exhausted. Cas had been scouring the maps looking for a decent place to camp as there was no way Dean could keep driving to the place they had originally planned on. As it turned out, a toddler tended to object to being cooped up in a truck bed all day and also threw up a lot. 

Eventually Cas forced Dean to pull over at the side of the road. The sun would be going down within the hour and everyone needed to eat and sleep. 

 

Cas and Benny managed to be civil to each other long enough to set up camp and get a fire going. Dean busied himself with refuelling the truck, and Jo entertained the little one letting him run around and stretch his legs. 

Ellen and Amy were sitting by the fire having an intense and emotional discussion about Matthew while they prepared a meal. Amy had a lot to catch up on with her sons development, he had started walking in her absence and she was devastated to have missed his first steps. Ellen was only too happy to fill in the gaps for Amy, knowing how hard it was to be separated from her own child. The little boy had not forgotten his mother, but had bonded with Ellen as she cared for him for all those months. Ellen had asked Amy the night before if she could still be part of the little boys life in some way and Amy had tearfully agreed, grateful that Ellen had looked after her son in her absence just as well as Amy would have done herself. So Ellen was prepared to take on the role of Matthews grandmother. She had spoken to Jo and she had enthusiastically agreed to welcome Amy and Matthew into the family. 

 

Charlie stood off to one side, watching the group and smiling. Dean had finished refuelling and she felt him approach her and nudge her with his shoulder.

“You doin' okay?” he gruffed, looking down at her, frowning. 

She looked up at him with a confused look on her face. “Who, me? I'm fine. Why?” 

“Well, it ain't like you to be so quiet. We haven't had much time to talk since we got out. I'm just checkin' in with my favourite redhead.” said Dean, giving Charlie a one armed hug from the side. 

Charlie returned the embrace gratefully, resting her head against Deans chest. “It feels weird, y'know? Every time I wake up I expect to be in there still and then I realise I'm not, and that's like, fucking amazing. But I don't know if any of us  _ can _ be okay after being in that place. Y'know?” she said in a small voice and she gripped Deans shirt as she tried not to cry. 

Dean dropped a kiss onto Charlies head and squeezed her with both arms against his chest. “Yeah, I do know. You know what I like about you? How fucking strong and smart you are. You never give up. You don't focus on the bad shit that happened, you focus on the fact that we survived it. I think that's fuckin' awesome.” he spoke into her hair as they held each other. He kissed her head again and stepped back, tipping her head up to face him and running his thumbs under her eyes to wipe away the tears that had escaped. 

Charlie gave him a watery smile and turned her head looking over to the fire where Cas and Benny were bickering. 

“Uh oh. Someone should separate those two before we end up with an Alpha throw down. Although, different time and place, that might make a hell of show.” said Charlie, waggling her eyebrows at Dean, who threw his head back and laughed loudly. 

“That's my girl.” he chuckled and ruffled her hair. 

Ellen's voice rang out, telling the two Alphas to knock it off before she boxed their ears and Cas stomped off in the direction of the truck, leaving Benny standing over the fire. 

Charlie looked at Dean meaningfully and he rolled his eyes. “Fine. I'll go check on Cas, but next time, it's all yours.” he said, pointing at Charlie. She smiled and waved him off. 

 

Dean found Cas perched on the hood of the truck, looking up at the stars. He climbed up and sat next to him with his elbows on knees. 

“So, apparently I'm the go-to guy for problems today. Wanna tell me what's bothering you? I can probably help, I'm already one for one.” said Dean, tiredly. 

“I don't trust him.” said Cas, quietly. 

“Oh? Why? Should we be worried about something?” said Dean, frowning.

“He asked me why I'm still here. He seems to think that now that he's here, that you guys will be fine now and don't need me anymore.” said Cas, angrily.

“He does kinda have a point there, you do have a war to fight. You can prevent this happening to anyone else, man. We're unimportant compared to that.” said Dean, looking at Cas who was clenching his fists.

“I made a promise that I would see you all safe, I intend to keep that. I just wonder why he is in such a hurry to see me go. It was one of the first things he said to me last night after we all talked and he said it again today. It's like he wants me out of the way for some reason, and that makes me more determined than ever to stay. To borrow a phrase, he may be Ellen's friend, but he's not  _ my _ friend. I just don't trust him, Dean.” said Cas, meeting Deans eyes for the first time since Dean had sat down.

“Well, when you put it like that, I understand where you're coming from. That does sound a little fishy. First sign of him stepping out of line, he's gone. Okay?” said Dean, patting Cas on the shoulder and jumping down. “Ellen's cooking, we can keep an eye on him better from over there by the fire with food in our bellies than over here all cold and hungry.” Dean said, pointing hopefully towards the fire. 

Cas let his shoulders relax and a small smile appeared on his face. “Thank you, Dean. For not dismissing my worries out of hand. Although, in this instance, I really hope I'm wrong.” he said, climbing down and placing his hand on Dean shoulder and running his hand down Deans arm to cup his elbow where he held on gently, letting his thumb brush back and forth on Deans bicep. Dean froze slightly and Cas abruptly let go as he realised what he was doing.

“Yeah, I hope you're wrong too.” said Dean, his voice tight, but he smiled and squeezed Castiels shoulder before he turned and walked back to the fire without looking back. 

Castiel ran a hand down his face and sighed. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before he followed Dean back to the fire. 

 

Benny was smiling at something Jo was talking about when Dean sat down on the opposite side of the fire, he turned to Dean and nodded a greeting. Dean ignored him and turned to Ellen who was keeping one eye on a pot of camp stew bubbling on the raked coals as she braided Amy's hair. 

“Smells good, Ellen. Is it gonna be ready anytime soon? I think I'm gonna eat and then crash, the drive kinda took it out of me.” he said, tiredly. 

Ellen looked up to see Cas taking a seat next to Charlie looking a little flustered. She frowned a little but replied to Dean with a smile. 

“Should be just about done, sweetheart. Does someone wanna serve it for me? I'm almost done with this braid.” she said, holding up a complicated looking braid, the ends unfinished. 

“I'll do it. Chief here looks about ready to fall asleep on his feet.” said Benny, his smooth drawl interrupted by a chuckle from Jo. 

“Thanks Benny, give him the first bowl. We'll leave him off the watch tonight, everyone else gets a turn.” said Ellen, as she continued Amy's braid. 

Dean took the first bowl gratefully and moaned obscenely around the first spoonful making everyone laugh. Even Cas chuckled. They laughed even louder when Ellen cuffed him over the back of his head telling him to knock it off. Deans glare at her withered as she fixed him with a glare of her own. He blushed and continued his meal, sans sex noises and the camp resumed it's gentle chatter as Dean ate in silence, content to observe. 

Charlie and Cas seemed to be in an intense discussion about pre-collapse tech. Amy fed her son, dodging and weaving around his little toddler grabby hands to get the spoon into his mouth as Ellen watched laughing. Benny and Jo were having a lively chat about the uses of knives. Dean struggled to keep his eyes open and for the first time in his life, considered abandoning his meal and curling up right where he was to sleep. 

 

He must have nodded off, as the next thing he remembered was Cas propping him up with one hand and removing the bowl from his hand with the other.

“Dean? I think you should lie down. You can't be comfortable sleeping like that. Come on, Charlie got your bedroll ready.” said Cas, soothingly as Dean flailed in surprise. 

“Huh? Yeah, 'kay.” said Dean, sleepily. He allowed Cas to pull him to his feet, it was a little too quick for his sleepy brain and he staggered alarmingly towards the fire, making everyone leap to their feet, until Cas grabbed him around the waist with a “Whoa!”. Cas then virtually manhandled him over to his bedroll that Charlie was holding open. Dean crawled into it and flopped face down, already asleep as Charlie gently covered him up. 

 

He was woken just before dawn by someone holding their hand over his mouth, he struggled for a second before realising that it was Cas, who was kneeling beside him and signalling him to be quiet. Dean blinked and nodded and Cas removed his hand and sat back on his haunches. Dean sat up and realised Benny was also awake and crouching behind Cas with a small axe in each hand. He was scanning the ground around the camp. 

Cas gestured for Dean to begin waking the others quietly as he too drew his weapon, a large triangular blade that tapered to a point. Cas tapped his blade to indicate that they needed silent weapons only, no guns, and Dean nodded again. Benny held up his hands and began to count off his fingers, indicating that he thought that there were possibly six unknowns in the area, maybe more. 

Dean crawled over to Jo, and then Charlie waking them in a similar manner as he himself was woken. Benny had woken Ellen and Amy, who looked terrified but determined to protect her child. Baby Matthew slept on oblivious, his chubby baby arms thrown up over his dark curly haired head as he lay between Ellen and Amy in one giant bedroll. 

Benny approached Dean and pulled him close to whisper in his ear.

“Bandits. They spotted the truck. They're searchin' it now, won't be long before they come lookin' for us.” He murmured into Deans ear.

Dread flooded through Dean at the thought of bandits. Unlike raiders, who took prisoners, bandits never left anyone alive. They raped and stole and murdered and not always in that order. 

He felt sick. 

Charlie and Jo were next to be informed, Cas whispering and quickly covering Charlies mouth as she gasped in fear, her eyes wide. Jo looked grim. 

Ellen looked furious and reached for her blade. Her job was clear, she would stay with Amy and Matthew and protect them if anyone got through, a gun was to be a last resort.

 

With hand gestures and whispered commands, Cas ran through the plan. Two teams approaching the truck from two sides, take out the bandits as quietly as possible. The bandits at the truck were not the main bulk of the group, who were probably nearby. Gunshots would be heard for miles and would bring unwanted attention, hence the need for stealth. Once the area around the truck was clear, they were to get everyone loaded up and get out of the area as fast as possible before more bandits showed up. 

Cas took Jo and circled around the other side of the truck, leaving Benny, Charlie and Dean to approach the truck from the camp. 

From where Dean was crouched he could see several bandits hovering around the truck, one was in the truck bed, searching for anything of value, another was in the cab doing the same. Two others were standing around, they were all armed to the teeth. 

Dean frowned, something wasn't right here. The truck had nothing of value and they were making too much of a show searching it. Benny gave him a look that said he was thinking the same thing. 

 

A gunshot split the air from the direction of the camp, closely followed up by a scream. 

 

“Fuck!” hissed Dean. “New plan!” he gritted out as he stood up and charged the bandits at the truck as Charlie and Benny followed close behind.

Dean threw himself at the nearest bandit, a Beta with broken teeth and one ear. He buried his blade in his neck just below the ruined ear, twisting it and pulling the blade out, leaving the Beta to drop where he stood and turned to find his next target only to find Cas had decided on a similar course of action and was dragging the bandit in the cab out by the leg, the bandit kicked out catching Cas in the chest. 

Cas staggered back and then charged forward again with a snarl, stabbing his blade through the bandits thigh and pinning him to the seat, the bandit screamed and Cas punched him in the face before using another blade from his belt to stab the screaming bandit through the eye, killing him instantly. 

Benny had buried an axe in one bandits head and left it there before going to help Jo and Charlie who were fighting the last bandit, who was a particularly large Alpha. Realising he was facing five to one odds, the Alpha tried to run, Benny threw his remaining axe and it's leather ties made a humming sound as it flew through the air and buried itself in the bandits back. The bandit went down and tried to crawl, Jo ran after him and pulled his head back by the hair, exposing his neck and slashed his throat, her face set in a grim expression. She stood back to avoid the spray and dropped him as Benny jogged up to retrieve the axe from the body, he stood on the Alphas back for leverage and pulled it out with a sickening wet squelch. Everyone grimaced and looked away hurriedly as he went back for the axe he'd left in the other bandits head. 

As one they checked each other over briefly for injuries and seeing none, turned to the camp as another scream ripped through the air. 

“It's a goddamn bait and switch!” growled Cas, looking furious as he pulled his blades from the dead bandits body, angrily flicking off the gore and wiping the blades onto the bandits clothes. 

“Yeah, they must have got around us in the night, chief. Set a Beta close enough to watch us, so we wouldn't scent 'em. It's what I would have done.” said Benny, with a frustrated sigh. 

Dean and Cas exchanged looks. A silent agreement to revisit Benny's comment later could be read in each others expressions. 

 

Another scream followed by a child's terrified wailing propelled the group into action and as one they moved back towards the camp. Dreading what they might find. 

 

Bursting through the trees, they froze at the grisly scene. 

 

Ellen had put up a fight, and two bandits lay dead. One had a knife still buried in his chest and the other had bled out quickly from a gunshot wound to the crotch, the high calibre bullet had not only blown away the genitals, but had opened the lower half of his abdomen and the air was rank with the smell from the bandits bowels. 

Ellen was on her knees, her back to a rat faced Beta, who stood behind her with one hand wound in her hair whilst the other held a knife to her throat, her hands were bound in front of her and she looked murderous.

Amy was pinned under a flabby Alpha, who was laughing off her attempts to push him off, pulling her head back to lick her neck as she squirmed and flailed. 

Baby Matthew was red faced and screaming, his tiny body stiff as a board as he objected to being held by the Beta currently struggling to keep from dropping him as the little boy kicked and flailed.

Another Alpha stood in the centre of the camp. A bemused expression on his face as he inspected Ellen's gun. His jet black greasy hair was long and swept back from his face, and his dark brown eyes were large with thick lashes that any Omega would envy. 

 

Benny growled lowly and the Alpha smirked as he looked Benny up and down, he cocked the gun and pointed it at Benny's chest. 

 

“Hello Benjamin. I wish I could say it was nice to see you again. But that would be a lie, and I despise liars.”

Dean gripped his blade tightly as he looked at Benny incredulously “You know this asshat?” 

“Oh, I thought for sure that you would have told your new friends about our long history together. Until you betrayed us and killed Quentin when he discovered what you did. The Old Man would love to see you again. He isn't too fussy about how many pieces you are in.” the Alpha sneered.

“I ain't sorry about killin' Quentin, I'm just sorry I didn't kill you too. You always were a sonofabitch, Sorento.” Benny sneered back.

“What kind of fuckin' bandit calls himself  _ Quentin _ ? As for Sorento, sounds like some sorta food. Y'know, I can't take you guys seriously with names like that.” taunted Dean “What's Rat face over there called?” he said, nodding to the man holding Ellen “Nigel? No? Wait, I got this. Lemme guess. Hah! I got it!” he clicked his fingers and pointed “Roger. Now go on, tell me I'm wrong.” he crossed his arms and waited, ignoring Charlies whispered “What the fuck are you doing?” 

Benny laughed out loud, his big body shaking with mirth. 

 

Sorento seethed with rage and he stepped back and kicked the Alpha that had pinned Amy. 

“Get up, you moron.” The flabby Alpha who had been straddling Amy, stood up after squeezing her breast hard enough for her to cry out. He kicked her in the thigh and she curled into a ball and wept. 

 

“Just so you know. I'm gonna take off that hand you groped her with and the foot you kicked her with, before I kill you. You fat piece of shit.” spat Dean, angrily. As Benny and Cas growled and snarled. 

“Look, it's an Omega that thinks it's an Alpha! That, is hilarious.” jeered Sorento. “Do you have any threats for me? Are you going to kill me too?” 

“Nah.” said Dean uncrossing his arms casually and twirling the blade in his hand. “I'm not gonna kill you.”

“Oh? You'll let me go? Send a message back to the old man perhaps?” sneered Sorento.

“I said,  _ I'm _ not gonna kill you.” he nodded over Sorento's shoulder. “She is.”

 

Sorento turned as Amy stood and plunged a knife into Sorento's neck, his eyes bulged and he gagged as blood poured from his mouth and the gun fell from his grip and clattered to the floor. 

 

Several things happened at once, the flabby Alpha grabbed for his non-existent weapon and realising it was now buried in Sorento's throat, moved to grab Amy instead. Ellen jumped to her feet, and threw her head back, butting the rodent featured Beta in the face, knocking him backwards and ran to get out of the way. Jo ran forwards to meet her and untie her. Cas and Charlie ran at the Beta holding a still struggling Matthew and Dean and Benny moved on the Alpha. 

The Beta holding Matthew panicked and almost dropped him, Charlie dived in to grab the baby as Cas gripped the Beta and yanked him to the floor by the throat, pinning him easily with his superior strength. Cas looked up at Charlie who nodded as she confirmed the baby was okay. Cas snarled into the Betas face as he coldly slit his throat. He looked up to see Charlie racing towards Amy, who had crawled over to Ellen and Jo. 

The Alpha had pulled the knife from Sorento's throat and was using it effectively to ward off both Dean and Benny. His size not a hindrance to his speed. Dean had a slash across his collarbone and Benny had lost a chunk of eyebrow, blood was running into his eye and blurring his vision, slowing him down. 

Dean suddenly went down as the Alpha kicked him in the kneecap, his right arm flying out to the side and striking one of the small rocks surrounding the fire pit, his blade clattering on the ground as he lost his grip.

The Alpha grinned and stamped down on Deans arm, breaking it with an audible snap and Dean screamed. The Alpha moved in for the kill, raising the knife high in order to stab Dean in the chest. 

Benny tackled him from the side and both Alphas went down in a heap, wrestling and snarling.

 

Jo shouted out a warning as Rat face, who had almost been forgotten, made his move. She leapt on his back but before she could get her knife in position, he flipped her over his shoulder onto the ground knocking the wind out of her and kicked her in the head, rendering her unconscious. 

 

Cas bolted towards Rat face as he descended on Dean, who was out of the fight and cradling his broken arm, unaware of the danger behind him. He feared he wouldn't make it and leapt over a dazed Dean to tackle Rat face around the chest and they rolled over the rough ground. Cas came out on top, but had lost his knife in the tackle, so he gripped the Beta around the throat, squeezing hard, intent on strangling him. Rat face tried to struggle, but his Beta strength was no match for the Alphas and he began to turn purple. 

The sound of a gunshot went off and the Alpha fighting Benny slumped, his ruined left shoulder still smoking. Benny looked over at Ellen, who had recovered her gun and nodded in thanks, but she ignored him and ran to her daughter, who was lying with her head in Charlies lap. She immediately began checking her over frantically, almost crying with relief when Charlie assured her that Jo was breathing. 

Rat face's struggles were getting frantic and Cas let out a pained grunt and sagged but maintained his grip on Rat face who was beginning to lose conciousness. Cas gritted his teeth and doubled his efforts and the Betas windpipe crumpled under the pressure.

 

The camp was silent as they watched Rat face suffocate to death. 

 

Cas finally released his grip on the bandits ruined throat and slowly stood and stepped away from Rat face's body, he was panting and his face was drenched in sweat. 

He gasped as he staggered and fell to his knees, gingerly lifting his arm and opening his jacket, revealing his bloodstained shirt and the handle of his own blade sticking out from his side.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*
> 
> I'm sorry I left the last chapter on a cliff-hanger. It was mean and I promise I won't be making a habit of it. I won't rule it out completely, because sometimes it just fits the context. That scene was BEGGING for a cliff-hanger ending.
> 
> One clever person asked "Who will drive them now?" Nice catch, glad to see you're paying attention. The whole fight scene was planned out in order to incapacitate the drivers, in order to set up an upcoming scene.   
> It was so hard to write that many people running around in the same scene, I think it worked. I'm rather proud of it.
> 
> So, there is a scene in this chapter that will expose my extremely dark sense of humour. I don't go too much into detail but it may give you the squicks, I wouldn't recommend eating when you are reading this chapter. I kinda grossed myself out a bit, but it also made me laugh really, REALLY hard. 
> 
> I vastly underestimated the number of chapters I would be writing for this fic. I originally estimated maybe 30. It's looking nearer to 70 because I'm a massive details whore. 
> 
> As always, your comments and kudos keep me going. Thank you.

**Chapter Fourteen.**

 

“Shit!”

 

Hearing Cas use a curse word shocked Dean out of his pain filled haze and he stared at the Alpha in horror.

“That don't look too good, Chief. You're gonna need a medic, for sure” drawled Benny to Cas, as he was sitting up, dabbing blood from his face with the sleeve of his jacket with a wince as he grazed his ruined eyebrow.

“You, shut up. This is all your fault. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you!” growled Dean, the pain of his broken arm adding an extra layer of venom to his voice.

Benny sagged and nodded.

Cas was bone white and pouring with sweat, he was kneeling and gritting his teeth against the pain.

“Is...everyone...okay?” he panted out.

“Are we....Are you fuckin' kidding me?” said Dean, incredulously.

Cas huffed a laugh and then grimaced. “Sorry....stupid...question.” he groaned out.

Ellen stood up from where she had been checking Jo's injuries and approached Cas, kneeling in front of him. She was gentle as she opened his jacket to look at his injury, but Cas hissed as he tried to move to give her a better view.

“Don't move, sweetheart. You stay as still as you can, okay? I'll move around you.” said Ellen, her voice wobbling slightly as she ducked under his raised arm to get a closer look.

After a minute or so, she sat up with tears in her eyes and shook her head.

“I can't...I don't know how to treat this. It's way beyond anything I can fix. Benny was right. You need a medic.” she looked devastated.

Cas just looked resigned. “Can...can you...Deans arm?” he panted. He was shaking now.

Ellen nodded and cupped his jaw. Tears were running down her face. “I'll do my best, hon. We'll get you comfortable first, okay?” Cas nodded. It was getting harder to speak.

“Maps... my clan...they....need.” Cas struggled out as he slumped against Ellen.

“Hey, Cas. Don't worry about it. You'll get it there yourself, man. You're gonna be fine.” said Dean, his throat thick and his eyes prickling with tears as he cradled his broken arm.

Ellen held Cas up as best she could and turned to Benny, her expression one of disgust.

“I'm gonna need your help to get this boy comfortable. You do what I say, when I say it. No more, no less. One wrong move and I shoot you dead. You're just lucky I haven't shot you yet.” her voice was cold.

 

Benny held his hands up as if to surrender and nodded.

 

Between them they eased Cas out of his jacket, trying not to disturb the blade before they could pull it out safely. Amy joined them after leaving Matthew with Charlie who was watching over a still groggy Jo. Cas was pliant, the strength had gone out of him now that the adrenaline from the fight had waned. Gently they laid him down on his side and Amy gasped at the sight of his blood soaked shirt and the knife handle sticking out from the bottom of his ribs, the handle pointing down towards his hip, which meant the blade was in his chest cavity.

Benny looked grim. “Okay, chief. I'm not gonna lie. It looks bad, that blade is awful close to some important organs. But if it had hit any of 'em dead on, you'd already be a goner. So you got a chance. Now I ain't a medic, but I've seen some things, and I think I can get the blade out. If we leave it in there much longer, sooner or later it's gonna move and hit something major.” he said, as Ellen reluctantly agreed with a nod and a grimace.

Cas was now shaking uncontrollably as he started to go into shock, but he growled out a reply.

“Do...it.”

Benny nodded. “Okay, chief. You just rest up here for a few and we'll get set up. Just keep breathin' in and out, real slow.”

Benny stood up and walked over to Dean. His face grim.

“Once we set your arm, I suggest you get on the radio to that brother of yours. See if they can get a medic out here. I won't lie, he won't make it if we try and get him there. I'm pretty sure the blade nicked his spleen , he's bleeding out slow. He'll bleed out faster if we move him. Most we can do here, is get the blade out and prevent further damage.” Benny said matter of factly.

Dean went cold. “They...uh. They got a medic stayin' at Bobby's. But they're a day away, man. Will he last that long?” he said, an edge of panic to his voice.

Benny shrugged. “He's strong, and stubborn. Hell, he managed to kill that sonovabitch with a blade in him. If we keep him calm and still, then yeah, I think he might.” he drawled. “Maybe that medic can give us some advice, they'd know more than me anyhow.”

Ellen approached with a handful of sticks the length of Deans forearm and several strips that looked to have ripped from the bottom of her long skirt. A skirt that was now significantly shorter.

“Quit starin'. It's like you've never seen a pair of legs before, boy. Where'd you think we were gonna get bandages from out here?” she snapped.

Dean sniggered and then scowled as Ellen smacked the back of his head. “Ow! Fuck sake!” he muttered.

“Okay, we're gonna set your arm first. Amy is tryin' to get Cas to drink some water. 'cause he'll probably pass out when we pull the knife.” said Ellen as she gently rolled back Deans sleeve.

 

Dean began taking deep breaths, remembering when he and Sammy had been children and Sam had broken his arm. They had been playing upstairs in some ruins and a rotten floor had given away under Sam's feet. Dean had felt terrible for daring Sam to go up there at all. Sam had been so brave though and had lied to their father, telling him he'd tripped getting out of the car, so Dean didn't get in trouble. He'd cried a little when their father had re set the bone, but had calmed when John had pulled him onto his lap and held him, kissing his head and telling him how brave he was. Dean had cried too. Seeing Sam hurt, had torn him up even then. He teared up as he suddenly missed his father and brother very much.

 

“You okay, hon? Did I hurt you?” said Ellen, looking concerned at his watery eyes.

“Nah, it's just been a helluva day, and it's still mornin'.” said Dean, using his non injured arm to wipe the tears away.

“Okay, we're gonna do this as quick as possible. You ready?” said Ellen, as she and Benny got into position.

Dean nodded and closed his eyes.

 

 

When he came to, he was propped up next to Charlie and his right arm was splinted and strapped to his chest. It throbbed with dull agony. He could detect the sour taste of vomit in his mouth and he groaned as he sat up slowly. Charlie was on him in seconds.

“Dean? Hey, dude! Welcome back. You passed out for the worst of it, I don't really blame you. It took 'em three tries to set it properly. I almost passed out just watching.” she prattled as Dean fought another wave of nausea.

“I need a drink.” Dean croaked, using his free hand to rub his temples.

“Sure! Here, lemme help.” said Charlie, lifting the large flask of water to Deans lips.

He drank down greedily, unable to stop until he almost choked. He pushed away the flask, coughing and spluttering.

“How's Cas doin'?” he said quietly. Charlie looked grim. “They got the knife out, and bandaged the wound. He passed out too. Ellen's with him now, trying to clean him up a bit.” she said with a grimace.

“How about Jo?” said Dean, shifting a little to test his range of movement.

“She took a kick to the head, she's awake now. But she has a pretty bad concussion. She's seein' double, blowin' chunks, the works.” said Charlie, who was looking pretty green herself.

“You?” said Dean, frowning.

“I'm good. Couple of bruises, but that's it.” she assured him.

“Alright then, you feel like helpin' me get to the truck? I need to call the cavalry. They'll have to come get us anyway. Me and Jo ain't up for driving anytime soon.” said Dean, getting up on wobbly legs.

“Sure, just lean on me a little bit or something.” said Charlie moving to his uninjured side.

They slowly moved across the camp site, where Benny was busying himself removing the bodies of the dead bandits and Amy was rebuilding the fire, she had tied baby Matthew to her back in a sling and he was fast asleep.

 

As they reached the truck, they were surprised to find that Benny had moved the bodies here too. Judging by the drag marks on the ground, he'd dumped them in the ditch on the opposite side of the road. However, the cab was still drenched in blood and had started to attract flies. The coppery scent was cloying and both Dean and Charlie gagged.

 

“Okay, this is all the more reason for them to come to us. 'cause I ain't sittin' in that.” said Dean in disgust as he realised that the seat and floor were drenched in not just blood, but urine and faecal matter as well. Charlie screwed her face up in a grimace and nodded in agreement. She reached into the cab for the radio, desperately trying not to touch anything.

“Hang on. I think I got it....URGH!” she whipped her empty hand out and cringed and gagged. “There's something... _squishy_ in there, and I _really_ don't want to know what it is.” she squeaked, disgusted.

“Sorry Charlie, I would if I could, but with my arm like this, I just can't get in there to get it.” said Dean, for the first time thinking of a positive to having his arm broken.

“Okay, I'll take one for the team, but you owe me big, dude. Like, _pie_ big.” said Charlie, assertively.

Dean nodded and rolled his eyes as Charlie turned to once again lean into the cab to reach the radio.

“Ohgodohgodohgod...urgh. Ew!” she said, her eyes screwed shut. “I got it!” she said triumphantly as she stepped back, the radio in hand.

 

Hanging off the side and tangled in the mic lead by the optic nerve, was the bandits ruined eyeball.

 

“Okay, now that is fucking disgusting.” said Dean, looking appalled. “Wait a second.” he walked off leaving a visibly sickened Charlie, who looked like she might pass out any second.

He came back less than a minute later with a short stick, broken off a larger branch. 

“Hold still, I'll flick it off with this,” he said, holding up the twig.

Charlie held the radio out in front of her, trying not to look at what Dean was doing.

“Maybe next time, lets remind Cas that when he takes his knife out of a dead guys eye, to maybe flick the eyeball out of the truck?” she said, cringing.

“Next time?” Dean deadpanned.

“Shut up.” said Charlie, who was now trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

“Okay, it's gone.” said Dean, hurriedly kicking dirt over it to get it out of sight.

“Oh, thank fuck. Let's never speak of this again, or I swear to god I will vomit. I'll even make sure I get it on you. Some of it might even get in your mouth.” said Charlie, bitterly.

Dean wrinkled his nose and made a disgusted noise. “Dude, just be grateful it wasn't a dick. That would have really freaked you out.” he said laughing.

Charlie doubled over, laughing so hard that tears ran down her face. “There's something really wrong with us, isn't there?” she said, wheezing.

“Oh, yeah. Definitely.” agreed Dean. “Okay, lets call Bobby.”

 

 

 

Bobby sat at the kitchen table, carefully putting his favourite rifle back together. He'd managed to bring down two large Deer yesterday morning, more than enough meat for a little while. It had taken him the rest of the day to get back and strip and preserve it. So he'd left cleaning his gun until today.

 

Hearing the radio crackle to life, he frowned, wondering who it could be.

He listened as Garth replied, trying to make out what he was saying, but could only make out the tone, it turned from jovial to panicked in seconds.

Bobby was already on his feet as Garth burst through the doorway to the kitchen.

“They're in trouble, they ran into bandits on the way here.” said Garth, his usual smile missing and a worried expression in it's place.

“Aww, Hell!” said Bobby, almost running to the radio. “Go get Sam and Jess” he barked at Garth, who nodded and ran off.

 

“Dean? You okay?” He barked into the radio.

“ _We're alive, if that's what you mean. But we got hit hard, just before the broken bridge over the Sioux, we ain't making it to you under our own steam.”_ said Dean.

“I'll come get you, if that's what you're askin'.” said Bobby, a ripple of relief going through him.

“ _Yeah, if you can bring Jess with you, it'd be even better. We are up shit creek without a medic and both drivers are out of commission.”_

“Are you hurt bad?” said Bobby, dread seeping in again.

“ _Not me, my arm's broke but other than that, I'm okay. It's Cas. He was stabbed, he won't make it if we don't get a medic out here asap. Looks like the blade nicked his spleen, he's bleedin' out slow.”_

“Well, shit.” Bobby turned to see a white faced Sam, flanked by Jess and Garth.

“ _Bobby? You there?”_ Dean sounded a little panicked.

“I'm here. Okay, I'll tell you what, Me, Sam and Jess will come to you. With my truck, I can get us there by tonight. Now, I'm gonna put Jess on, an' me and Sam are gonna get everything we need together. I'll see you later, son.” Bobby handed over the mic to Jess who began firing off questions to Dean about the condition of her patients, making hastily scribbled notes on the pad next to the radio.

Bobby turned to Sam with a grim look on his face. “You still got that go-to bag packed?” Sam nodded, and Bobby continued “Good, get it in the truck, Jess is gonna need her medical stuff, but we'll let her pack those, she knows better than us what she'll need. I'll grab some supplies, we might be there a couple of days.” 

Sam nodded and ran to put the bag in the truck, deciding to make himself useful he refuelled the truck and filled the spare fuel cans as well. 

Going back inside he found Bobby loading boxes with food and clothing. Sam's heart clenched when he saw that Bobby had even included a small rag-doll for the child. It had been placed on top of the box with care. Sam had no idea where it had come from, it looked old, but not worn. He picked it up looking at it curiously. 

“Karen made it, when we first got mated. I forgot all about it until I cleared out the room for you when you first got here. I figured it should see some use.” said Bobby, gruffly.

“Yeah, that's really kind of you Bobby. The kid's only a year old and he's been through a lot already. It'll be nice for him to have something to play with.” said Sam softly.

“Yeah, it'll keep him occupied on the drive back. Nothin' worse than a toddler havin' a tantrum 'cause it's bored. So it ain't all kindness, Sam.” said Bobby, trying to look stern. 

“Sure, Bobby. Whatever you say.” said Sam, not even trying to hide his admiration for the kind hearted Alpha.

“Shut up, Sam. Start loadin' these boxes onto the truck, ya idjit.” Bobby snapped, clearly embarrassed. 

 

Less than an hour after Dean first called, they were heading out of the homestead, Garth waving from the porch as Rumsfeld snoozed lazily in the morning sun.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*  
> Well, the response I got from the last chapter was overwhelming to say the least. Such lovely comments, thank you so much to those that made the effort. It really does make a difference when you receive feedback! 
> 
> This fic also passed 5000 hits! I never expected to get so many and it spurs me on to write more! 
> 
> I know this chapter is late, but I did spoil you by giving you three chapters in one week before, so I had to play catch up a little bit. This chapter is also the biggest one yet. At 6500 words it's a monster. 
> 
> I've been told I don't put enough tags/warnings so I apologise if anyone was upset by that, I'll try to do better.
> 
> Sam and Dean FINALLY reunite in this chapter. It's rushed and awkward, but it's what the circumstances are (They are Winchesters).  
> They'll have a proper conversation in a later chapter. For reasons (I do actually have a plan, pinky swear!).  
> This chapter is dialogue heavy and a real rollercoaster of emotions. There is a surgery scene but it's not graphic at all.   
> This is a little angsty, but there will be fluff coming up in the next couple of chapters. 
> 
> As always comments and Kudos are appreciated and I need them like crack. Enable me.

**Chapter Fifteen.**

 

Dean watched Benny closely, the Alpha seemed to be doing his best to make up for the bandit attack by throwing himself into making the camp-site habitable again. Knowing they would be there for a few days, he had taken the tarp from the truck and made a temporary shelter. He was as skilled as Dean in survival and by late afternoon, the camp was almost cosy.

Jo and Cas were laid out on the thick bedrolls and the fire had been built up to keep them warm. Jo seemed a little better, she could hold short conversations before it hurt too much and she had managed to keep down some water. Cas was slowly getting worse, when he was awake he was confused most of the time. He asked repeatedly for Gabriel and Hannah and became upset when they didn't appear. Several times he seemed to think he was back in the canyon and on one particularly harrowing occasion for everyone in camp, had obviously relived seeing the aftermath of the massacre.

He would eventually pass out again though, and Ellen, who had taken it upon herself to nurse him as well as Jo, would gently check his wound and bathe the sweat from his body. When he woke up confused, she would sooth him and try to keep him calm and prevent him from hurting himself.

 

Charlie sat with Dean on the other side of the fire. She looked at Dean sadly.

“Do you think they'll make it in time?”

Dean struggled to speak, it was hard to see Cas so vulnerable.

“I fuckin' hope so, Charlie. He doesn't deserve this.” his anger and sadness bleeding into his voice.

 

Benny dropped down next them, a pair of skinned rabbits ready to cook over the embers were in his big hands. He looked exhausted.

 

“While these are cookin', I can try to explain, if you're ready to listen.” he said quietly, he kept his eyes down and shifted uncomfortably.

Ellen looked up sharply, her anger had been evident all day in the way she spoke to the Alpha, in short clipped sentences and with her fingers hovering near her gun.

“It'd better be a damn good explanation, I trusted you, and you almost got us killed, or worse. The only reason I didn't shoot you as well as that fat fucker of an Alpha, is that I want to know exactly what that slimy prick Sorento was talkin' about.” she said angrily.

“I'll do my best. I swear, I never meant any harm on you folk. I just wanted a fresh start. That's all.” said Benny, arranging the rabbits over the embers in order to cook them.

“I'll make this as brief as possible, goin' over this ain't exactly comfortable for me.” he continued, his big frame sagging.

“It ain't exactly comfortable for us right now, so we deserve to know why we ended up with an infestation of bandits” snarked Dean as Amy sat down the other side of them, Matthew curling into her chest falling asleep.

“Okay,but just wait 'til I tell the whole story, before you judge me too harshly.” Said Benny, shifting to get comfortable, he began.

 

“A few years ago, I met an Omega, Andrea. She was clever and beautiful and her daddy was happy to have me court her. So, I did. She and I were real happy. Planned to mate after I finished building our home and raise a whole bunch of kids.” he smiled at the memory.

“Her and her parents were gonna come live with me, they were old and she was the baby of the family. I'd had no family for a long time and I was only too happy to have a full house again.” he ran his hands down his face and sighed.

“They were travellin' with all of their belongings, and I guess it was too much of a temptation and they were attacked by bandits. I discovered what was left when I went lookin' when they didn't show up. Even the horse was dead.” he looked haunted.

“What was left had been got at by animals and there wasn't even enough left to bury or identify. There were so many different scents, from them, the bandits and the animals, I couldn't even pick one out, let alone identify hers. But I found the bracelet I made her.” his eyes looked hard and cold.

 

The group sat in silence, all of them could empathise with Benny's story, they were unwilling to interrupt.

 

“I wanted to die, my whole family was gone. My future. But I wanted to kill the bastards who took it away from me first. So, I went lookin'” he sat forward and adjusted the meat cooking over the embers.

“I found 'em. But I wanted to get the guy at the top. I wanted to bring all of them down. So, I joined 'em so I could get close.” he paused, taking off his hat and running his hands through his hair.

“I had to prove myself, take part in attacks. It turned my stomach when I saw first hand the things they did. But I needed to do it, so I could get close to the old man in charge. I wanted to look him in the eye when I killed him.” he screwed the hat up in his hands.

I was runnin' my own crew after a while, and I directed attacks onto Crowley's caravans. That fucker of a trader moves stuff all over and he ain't too fussy about who it really belongs to or how he gets it. It was as far from attackin' innocents as I could get. So stealin' from him felt justifiable. It was certainly profitable.” he smirked.

“It got me noticed, the old man wanted to meet me. I finally had my chance. I didn't intend to come back alive. In my head, I was gonna go down after taking out as many of those bastards at the top as possible.” he paused again as Charlie gasped.

“I got blindfolded and taken to meet him. It's in these ruins of some big house and I'm searched for weapons, which I expected. They take 'em all, except the knife I hid in the lining of my jacket. I get told to wait in this room and I'm bidin' my time, when who should walk in, but Andrea.”

 

The whole group sat open-mouthed in shock. Benny looked pained.

 

“I don't know who was more shocked. There I was preparing to die because the woman I loved was murdered, and she walks in the room. Then I noticed the mating bite. I broke. I begged her to tell me who her Alpha was, I told her I'd kill him and we'd leave together. We could be a family at last. I wanted to save her from being a slave. It's been known to happen before.” Benny's voice was wobbling now, and he choked back a sob.

“She started crying, told me she wanted that too. That she'd missed me so much. Offered to help lure her Alpha into a trap, so I could kill him and free her.” Benny was crying now and the rest of the group were not far behind.

“Only, it wasn't her Alpha that she lured into a trap. It was me. She ran to her Alpha and told him everything. Who I really was, what my real intentions were, everything. I was stupid to expect her to go against the bond, but I lost my head at seeing her alive after so many years of thinkin' she was dead.” his voice broke.

“Next thing I know, Quentin and Sorento are grabbin' me and then Andrea walks back in the room, the old man follows behind. He starts kissin' and pettin' on her right in front of me. Tellin' her what a  _ good _ Omega she is. That he'll reward his  _ favourite _ Omega later. She's gigglin' and lappin' up the attention before she looks at me like somethin' she stepped in before walkin' back out the room laughing.”

 

Dean groaned and dropped his head in his hands. Charlie and Ellen looked sick. Amy was clutching Matthew to her chest, while the little one protested softly in his sleep.

 

“The old man had taken her for himself, she was one of his harem of Omegas. He kept tellin' me what a good  _ bitch _ she was, how she  _ begged _ for his knot, the whole time Quentin and Sorento were beatin' the tar out me, and for a while, I let 'em. Then I remembered, I wanted to kill those bastards before I knew she was still alive. So I fought back. I caught 'em by surprise, and I killed Quentin, but Sorento and the old man got away as more of his men came in.” he said bitterly. 

“So I ran. I thought for a while about going back to finish the job, but seeing her again, like that? It...it almost destroyed me. So, I decided to get a fresh start. I travelled for a while until I came across the Roadhouse and the survivors. I thought maybe I could help, maybe I could make up for the things I'd done.” he paused, then continued in a quiet voice “Maybe for a while, I did.”

 

He suddenly stood up and stalked off. Leaving the group reeling.

 

Charlie spoke first, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“That is... I don't even know how to feel about all of that.”

Amy looked at Ellen who had lost her angry expression at some point halfway through Benny's story and was looking thoughtful.

“Do you believe him?” said Amy, reaching to turn the meat and prevent it from burning.

“Yeah, I do. Doesn't mean I think he did the right thing. Joining them? That was...I don't know what that was. Not sane, that's for sure. But I can certainly empathise with the guy. Hell, we all can.” said Ellen, bitterly.

“I can understand not wanting to talk about it.” said Dean, quietly.

“Yeah, and wanting a fresh start.” said Amy, running her hands through her sons hair as he slept next to her and smiling.

“Should one of us go after him?” wondered Charlie out loud.

“I think he needs some time. Give it a little while.” said Ellen, getting up to check on her patients again as Cas began stirring.

“So, I take it you ain't gonna shoot him?” said Dean to Ellen.

“Not today. Like I said, I don't think what he did was right. But I understand loss. We've all lost people, it hurts and it never goes away. Grief does funny things to ya. But it don't excuse hurtin' other innocent people just so you can get your revenge. He lost sight of that and I think he gets that now. If he wants a chance to start over, I ain't gonna stand in the way of that.” she replied, before turning to attempt to get Cas to drink some water.

“Do we let him stay though and start over with us? Or send him on his way?” said Dean, he looked uncomfortable.

“Well, I don't think he's a danger to us personally. If that's what you mean.” said Ellen, her face screwed up in thought.

“No, me neither. I mean, he saved my life when that fat fucker tried to gank me. He's obviously left the bandits far behind him. What worries me, is that  _ they _ haven't forgotten  _ him _ .” said Dean, worriedly. 

 

“It won't be a problem, brother.” Benny's voice stated from behind them, making them all jump. “Sorento was a nasty sonovabitch, but he wasn't too smart. Always was too busy tryin' to keep his position as the old man's second and worried about someone killin' him off to get it. He was so paranoid, he never shared where he would be workin'. Nobody knows he was here, they won't even know where to start lookin' once he shows up missin'. Not that anyone will miss him that much. He really was a sonovabitch.”

“So, they aren't looking for you?” said Dean, suspiciously.

“Not as such, no. If they happen to find me, I'm a dead man. But it'd draw too much attention to be actively lookin' for me. Sorento got lucky is all. Saw the opportunity to impress the old man. So, if you'll allow it, I'd like to stay.”

 

Dean looked around, catching the subtle nods of the others as they agreed.

 

“Okay, you can stay.” said Dean, as Benny let out a breath he'd been holding. “But, a fresh start is just that. This never gets mentioned again, and you tell us if there is any danger going forward. Deal?” he continued.

“Absolutely, brother. You have my word.” said Benny solemnly.

 

 

 

 

Sam shifted in his seat for the tenth time in less than five minutes and Bobby had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from yelling at the Omega to sit still and stop being a distraction. Instead he sighed and gripped the steering wheel tighter. He couldn't really blame Sam, they were minutes away from seeing Dean again after months of terrifying separation. Bobby knew his own anxiousness was feeding into his irritation at Sam's incessant wriggling. Jess was doing her best to calm Sam, her hand gripping his as they all sat squashed together on the bench seat in the cab of Bobby's truck.

 

“There! I can see the truck!” Sam almost shouted as they rounded a bend in the tree-lined road.

“I see it. We made good time, still a little light left. Would'a hated tryin' to find this place in the dark.” said Bobby, steering to park behind the slightly worse for wear truck Dean had described.

Jess was the first to jump out and she immediately ran to the back of the truck to grab her medical supplies. Her face was carefully blank as she mentally prepared herself for her patients.

Sam was a wreck, and stood awkwardly as Bobby climbed out the other side of the truck and checked his shotgun.

 

“Sam, get it together son. Help Jess to carry her gear. I'm just gonna go ahead and let 'em know we're here, stay with the truck until I come back and tell you it's safe.” said Bobby, squinting into the dim forest.

Sam nodded reluctantly, and checked his own gun. They hadn't spoken to Dean since they had left the house and had no way of knowing if the area was safe. He moved to help Jess start untying the crates from the body of the truck.

 

Bobby moved silently towards the tree line, he could see areas where the undergrowth had been disturbed and the ground had been churned up, the smell of blood was faint but it was all around.

The break in the undergrowth led off in one direction and he cautiously followed it, his gun raised and ready.

Moving around a large tree, he heard a growl and turned around quickly, seeing a large Alpha holding an axe in each hand. Bobby aimed his shotgun at the Alphas torso but held off from firing.

 

“Now who might you be, chief?” the large Alpha drawled, looking unconcerned, despite the fact he had a shotgun pointed at him.

“I think I'll ask the questions if you don't mind. Who the hell are you?” said Bobby gruffly, gesturing with the shotgun to make his point clear.

 

“Uh, now see, my friend behind you says differently, chief.” said the large Alpha, with a smile.

 

Bobby heard a click of a gun cocking behind him and cautiously looked behind himself to see a tiny red haired Omega holding a gun pointed at his back. A gun he recognised.

“How did you get Dean's gun?” Bobby demanded angrily. “He'd never let that gun out of his sight!”

“Well, I guess that answers my question. You must be Bobby.” said the large Alpha, nodding at the red haired Omega, who dropped the gun. “Sorry chief, can't be too careful after what happened, y'know? I'm Benny, this is Charlie. Dean is this way.” he pointed towards a rock outcropping about 30ft away.

Bobby relaxed a little. “I take it you had no more trouble since?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Naw, we got 'em all. No-one left to go get help. We were just bein' cautious is all. Dean's been fit to burst about seein' his brother, you wanna go get him and I'll take you into camp?” said Benny quietly.

“I'd like to lay eyes on Dean first before I go get Sam, if it's all the same to you.” said Bobby still holding his gun on Benny.

Benny smiled and nodded. “No problem, I'd do the same in your position.” he nodded to Charlie, who ran off towards the outcropping.

 

The Alphas watched her go and waited in silence as she scrambled out of sight only to reappear a minute or so later with Dean shuffling behind her.

Bobby gasped as he recognised Dean immediately. He was thinner, his face had a slight gaunt quality to it and his hair was much longer than he usually kept it. The cotton shirt and pants he wore hung off his lean frame, but his smile was exactly the same as he stumbled forwards in his haste to get to Bobby, one arm out in front as his other arm was strapped to his chest.

 

Bobby almost dropped his shotgun as he ran the two steps forward to embrace Dean as he barrelled into him. Dean gripped him in a one armed hug and let out a quiet whine as he buried his face in Bobby's shoulder, his body shaking with sobs.

“It's okay boy. You did good. Y'hear me? You did good. We got you back. Ya daddy would'a been so proud. I'm so proud of you, son.” Bobby crooned quietly into Deans ear as he gripped Dean in his own one armed hug, as he held the shotgun pointed to the ground with the other.

Dean stepped back wiping his eyes on his sleeve and croaked “Where's Sam?” looking around as if Sam was hiding nearby.

“He's at the truck, I wanted to make sure it was safe first. Let's go get him together.” said Bobby pointing back the way he came and trying to blink away his own tears. “That boy's been twitchier than a dog with fleas all day. He's been so excited.” He kept his arm around Deans shoulders as he turned them both to walk back towards the truck, as if he was afraid to let Dean go in case he disappeared.

Benny and Charlie followed at a discreet distance, just in case they were needed.

 

Dean halted suddenly as the trail opened up and he caught his first glance of Sam, who had his back to him.

“SAM!!” Dean almost screamed, as he tore away from Bobby and ran at his brother, who whipped around in shock.

 

The brothers ran at each other, slamming bodily against each other so hard that they went down in a tangle of limbs and yelps, ending up on their knees in the dirt.

“DEAN! Oh shit! You're hurt, I'm sorry. Oh my god, I can't believe it!” Sam babbled as he almost strangled Dean in an attempt to hug him.

Dean hugged back just as fiercely even as he fought for breath. “Dude....” he gasped out, and Sam let up a little but only enough to allow Dean some air.

“C'mon man, I didn't survive raiders and bandits just to get hugged to death by a moose.” joked Dean, through fresh tears. “I missed you too, bitch.”

Sam let out a noise that was half sob, half laugh and sat back on his heels, his hands on Dean's shoulders “Don't you ever do that to me again, you jerk!” he growled, shaking Dean a little.

“I don't plan to, Sammy.” said Dean quietly as Sam hugged him again.

“Uh, Sam?” said Dean, his voice muffled by Sam's shoulder. “What's up with your scent, man?”

 

Sam froze and looked at Jess worriedly.

 

Sam sat back again and met Dean's eyes, which were narrowed suspiciously.

“Uh, yeah. I'd like you to meet Jess. My mate.” he said, looking slightly guilty as Jess approached slowly.

Deans eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair in surprise as he looked between Sam and the blonde female Alpha.

“You're mated? Since when?” barked Dean, who was now frowning.

Sam flushed scarlet and shifted uncomfortably until Jess ran a comforting hand through his hair and smiled at him reassuringly.

“A few days ago. Once we knew you were alive and coming home, we were celebrating and, well, it sorta happened.” said Sam awkwardly.

Dean flushed with anger and stared daggers at Jess. “Did you force a bite on my brother?” he said through gritted teeth and reaching for his blade.

Jess snarled in anger and Sam went wide eyed as the rest of the group held their breath.

“Whoa! No! That is _not_ what happened at all! We talked about it first, we were gonna wait. But when you called out of the blue, we were so happy, waiting seemed silly somehow. She's got a matching bite. I swear Dean, it's a true mating.” said Sam, looking up at Jess who looked pretty pissed off.

“Fine. It's a true mating. But if you hurt my brother, I'll kill you.” said Dean, meaning every word.

Jess just smiled. “Dean, you've obviously been through a lot and I get that this is a shock for you. So I'll excuse your behaviour this once. Because, in case you have forgotten, in a true mating, if I were to hurt my Omega, it would hurt me just as much. If I hurt Sam, _I'd kill myself_ . 

Now, are we done with the death threats, or can I see my patients now?” said Jess, smartly, reaching down to kiss Sam on his forehead and then turning away to pick up her supplies.

 

Sam and Dean looked at each other open mouthed in surprise, before breaking out into laughter.

 

“I like her.” whispered Dean to Sam as Sam looked proudly at his Alpha.

“She's pretty awesome.” said Sam dreamily.

“Hey Jess!” called Dean. Jess looked back at him with an arched eyebrow, waiting for a continuation of the argument.

“Welcome to the family.” laughed Dean, as the rest of the group breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, now can I get some help getting this stuff to the camp? I also need an update on my patients condition.” Jess had clearly fallen into her medic persona and was now shoving crates into Benny's arms as everyone else scrambled to help.

 

 

 

Back at camp, introductions were brief, Jess examined Jo. To Ellen's relief Jess had reassured her that Jo would be just fine after a few more days of headaches that would gradually taper off. 

Bobby, Benny and Sam had busied themselves constructing a rough shelter for everyone.

Several tarps had been lashed to the surrounding trees creating a windbreak, and Benny had boosted Charlie into the lower branches to string several larger tarps over the entire camp. The fire was built up and the smoke funnelled up and out of the gap in the centre. Several bedrolls were laid out on one side and Amy had busied herself using a branch to sweep any small stones and rocks outside of their temporary dwelling.

During this Jess examined Cas with Ellen's help, his condition had worsened and he was now completely listless and almost unresponsive. Dean had hovered nervously, until Jess asked him politely to stop blocking the light. So he had busied himself entertaining baby Matthew instead.

 

Jess finally finished her examination and stood in the centre of camp looking tense and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I need to do field surgery. You were right, it's his spleen. It's not going to stop bleeding unless I take it out. It's super risky, even under normal circumstances, however, out here the risk of infection is really high. So to be clear, if I don't operate, he'll _definitely_ die. If I do, he _might_ die, but slowly.” she looked grave.

The whole group looked devastated, they had hoped they were wrong.

“Jesus. Well, we have to try, right? Cas saved us, none of us would be here right now if it wasn't for him. So we should give him a chance, I say, do it.” said Dean, vehemently.

One by one the group agreed, and Jess let her shoulders relax. Ellen stepped forward “What do you need?”

 

Jess began listing off what she needed and the rest of the camp jumped to carry out her requests.

 

Her surgical equipment was placed in a pot of water over the fire to boil, next to another pot filled with a pungent liquid that made the whole tent smell of bitter herbs, Dean recognised the smell as a tea made from poppy seeds.

Bobby took one of the headlights out of Deans truck and wired it up to the trucks battery, suspending the light above her patient in order to give her enough light to operate by. The crates were turned over to create surfaces for various pieces of equipment and bottles and jars and even a raised bed for Cas, the crates covered in a thin bedroll.

Benny and Sam hung yet another tarp in order to section off the area where Jess would be operating and then it was time to move Cas.

Jess had saved this part for last in order to not disturb his wounds until the last possible moment.

Benny, Sam and Bobby lifted the semi-conscious Alpha as gently and as carefully as they could and placed him on the raised bed.

Ellen and Amy had agreed to assist Jess and both women were busy setting out the sterilised equipment and then thoroughly washing their hands right up to the elbows, whilst Jess covered her clothing in a linen apron and then proceeded to thoroughly scrub her own hands and bare arms.

“I think we're as ready as we're going to be.” she declared. “Get him to drink that whole measure of poppy syrup. It will dull the pain and put him to sleep, once he's out, I'll begin.” she added to Ellen.

She walked behind the tarp and then stepped back out, her face stern.

“Do not come in here, no matter what you hear. If you are not part of my surgical team, I don't want you in here. You will be endangering my patient. Am I understood?” she looked around at every person who each in turn nodded sagely.

 

She nodded and disappeared behind the tarp again, the silhouettes of her and the others stood out sharply against the tarp as they worked to save Castiels life.

 

For what seemed like hours the rest of the group tried to keep themselves occupied, it was hard to sleep, but everyone tried. At best they managed short cat naps in between pacing or playing card games. All of them trying their hardest to ignore what was going on behind the tarp. None of them felt particularly hungry, except for baby Matthew who was happily gnawing a small piece of cheese that Bobby had brought with the supplies. His chubby baby hands were covered in a mixture of drool and cheese and he squealed in delight when Charlie recoiled in disgust when he tried to share it with her. They talked lowly amongst themselves, trying to block out the low murmuring of Jess giving instructions to Ellen and Amy.

Sam and Dean sat outside for a while and cried together quietly, finally allowing themselves to grieve a little for their father. Sam wisely didn't push when Dean refused to discuss what had happened to them all at the compound. The brothers were just enjoying each others familiar scents again after such a long separation. Dean asked questions about Jess and Sam couldn't stop himself from gushing like a teenager over his mate. Sam couldn't help but notice that Dean shied away from physical contact, and unless he initiated it, he flinched or froze. It made him sad, Dean had always been a tactile person. He still gave affection, but seemed to stall over receiving it. He decided to leave that question for another day and just concentrated on being with his brother again.

Baby Matthew eventually fell asleep after Sam had given him the little rag-doll that Bobby had packed. He had clasped it tightly and babbled away to it eventually falling asleep with it tucked under his arm. Dean secretly thought it was adorable.

 

Eventually Amy staggered out from behind the tarp, she looked exhausted. Everyone turned to look at her.

 

“We need some fresh water boiled and some more poppy syrup. Jess and Ellen are just finishing sewing him up now. I'll let Jess fill you in on the rest.” with that she left the tent to go wash her hands.

Sam and Benny scrambled to fulfil Jess' requests and everyone nervously waited. Dean watched the silhouettes finish sewing and then gently wrap the wound in bandages.

Ellen appeared first, looking just as exhausted as Amy had. She nodded a greeting and then hurried out to wash her hands, which were bloody to the elbows. Jess followed, her apron and arms were bloody, but she had a smile on her face.

“It went better than I'd hoped. The tear to his spleen was small, but not repairable. I had to remove it. He'll need some more poppy syrup at regular intervals for the next few days, and kept meticulously clean, no-one is to even go near him without clean hands. Barring infection, he should make a full recovery.”

 

A collective sigh of relief was released and Charlie burst into tears. Sam looked at his mate with pride and smiled. Jess gave a tired smile back and nodded to Amy and Ellen as they entered the tent, they had bathed and changed into the simple shift dresses that Garth had made.

“Use the pocket watch I gave you to check his heart rate every 15 minutes, if it goes higher or lower than what I told you earlier, wake me. I'm going to bathe and get changed, then I am going to take a nap. I mean it, any changes, wake me.” said Jess tiredly to Ellen and Amy. She smiled softly at Sam and then left the tent with Sam just behind her.

 

Dean stood up, patting Charlie on the shoulder as he passed her, he approached the tarp where Amy was holding it back so Ellen could enter the sectioned off area.

“Did you not hear Jess? You can't come in here, Dean.” growled Ellen as she blocked him.

“I know, I just wanted to know how to do that stuff she talked about. If I wash up, maybe you could show me? You guys look exhausted, I can take a turn and then you can catch a nap, maybe?” said Dean, earnestly. “I swear, I'll do everything I'm told, to the letter.”

Ellen looked at him oddly, but then sighed “Okay, Amy can show you how to wash your hands properly and tell you about clinical cleanliness. Then she can catch a nap and you can stay in here with me and I'll show you how to measure his heart rate and stuff, in a couple of hours we'll swap over.” she looked to Amy for confirmation, who shrugged.

“Awesome.” said Dean, looking relieved.

 

Ten minutes later Jess and Sam were curled up on one of the bedrolls, Jess was already asleep and Sam was dozing. Amy had flopped down next to her son and had passed out. Charlie was whispering quietly to Jo. Benny and Bobby were sitting near the fire drinking Bobby's beer, and Dean was getting his first lesson on patient care.

 

Ellen showed him how to measure Castiels heart rate, check his temperature and what to look out for in regards to danger signs. She showed him how to write it all down, so Jess could go over it when she woke up. Then she fell asleep propped up against the crate next to Castiels bed.

 

Dean took the opportunity to look at Cas properly. The Alpha was deeply asleep, his face looking younger and softer than when he was awake and wore a frown almost permanently. His plump lips were dry and slightly parted. His olive skin was still pale, but looked a healthier shade than it had been earlier in the day. The light blanket covering him came up to his collarbones and shifted with each slow deep breath as the Alpha slept. Overall, Cas looked a little better than he had earlier and Dean felt hope for Cas' recovery.

 

Dean dutifully made his checks every fifteen minutes, making sure to carefully write down everything in the notes. There was no change for several hours and it began to get light outside.

The tarp rustled and Dean looked up to see Jess enter the closed off area, he smiled at her slightly confused look.

“Hi, are you still here? I thought Ellen or Amy would have taken over by now?” she whispered quietly, quickly glancing at Ellen who was still asleep propped up.

“Yeah, I got a nap in yesterday, and it's not like I can do much else with my arm like this, so I wasn't exactly tired. I thought I'd let everyone sleep, you guys worked hard last night.” Dean whispered back, checking the time on the pocketwatch that he'd left lying on Castiels chest, it was easier to leave it there because of only having one working arm.

“I take it there were no scary moments last night?” Jess whispered, picking up Deans notes and scanning them.

“It was all scary. I was terrified the whole time. But Cas slept like a baby, he hasn't even stirred. Y'know, he doesn't even snore? It actually got a little creepy.” admitted Dean, used to sharing a room with Sam who snored like a wounded bear.

Jess stifled a laugh “Used to Sam, I take it? Because, damn. That guy could wake the dead. The first time we slept in the same room, I thought one of the animals had got in the house.”

Dean had to stifle his own laugh and Jess smiled widely.

“I get what Sam see's in you. What you did last night was amazing. I mean that. If anyone can give Cas the chance to survive, it'll be you. Thanks Jess.” said Dean, looking embarrassed.

“I did what I could. Now it's up to Cas. From what I've been told, he's stubborn, which is a good and bad thing. Good, because it means he'll fight. Bad, because once he's feeling a little better, he's going to be a pain in the ass patient. But I'll take that over the other outcome any day.” said Jess, starting her own checks on her patient.

Dean watched her work, wincing as she checked the stitches on the wound.

“It's looking good, no signs of infection, and he's beginning to pink up. He's not losing anymore blood. He's a little dehydrated, we'll get some water in him once he starts to wake up. Maybe a little thin broth if he can handle it. I'll make the poppy syrup a little weaker today, I want him sitting up by this afternoon.” said Jess, back to business.

“That soon? Isn't that a little fast?” questioned Dean, looking surprised.

“He's an Alpha, we tend to heal faster. But yes, it is a little fast. It's the poppy syrup, it can make him vomit. If he's lying down flat, he could choke. If we prop him up correctly, it shouldn't hurt much more than it already does.” said Jess, reassuringly.

“Oh. Yeah, that would be bad.” conceded Dean with a grimace.

“I need to check out that arm. I sure Benny and Ellen did a good job, but I'd like to check it all the same. I want to unstrap it from your chest anyway. It's fine for the first day, but your arm will stiffen up and that will really hurt.” said Jess, now standing in front of Dean with her hands out ready to begin unwrapping his arm, just waiting for his go-ahead. Dean nodded and sat up straight to make it easier for her to reach.

“How is the pain? I have some willow bark that you can either chew on or make a tea from. It will take the edge off the pain and make it easier to bathe and change your clothes, and sleep. Which I am sending you off to do very soon. Sam is making breakfast for everyone.” said Jess, smiling at Deans grimace.

“Are you making that face at the thought of medicine or Sam's cooking? I assure you, he is better than me. It could be worse.” she giggled.

“Both. To be honest. Sam's cooking is okay, he just likes his food on the bland side. I'll add some salt and it'll be fine.” said Dean, just before he hissed in pain as Jess unwrapped his arm.

“Your arm is stiff already, it makes the muscles go into spasm. The willow bark will help with that. I already have some tea brewing for Jo, but she's still asleep, so you drink it, and I'll make her some more. Okay?” said Jess, soothingly.

Dean nodded, his arm hurt more now than it did yesterday. He gritted his teeth and allowed Jess to continue to examine him.

“Looks good. It's correctly placed, that bruising is something else though. Your whole arm is black and blue. I'll splint it slightly differently so it's more comfortable and you'll be able to move your hand at least. Sound good?” said Jess as she began to re-wrap his arm. It was throbbing now.

Once she finished, she shooed Dean out of the sectioned off area and told him in no uncertain terms.

“Food. Medicine. Sleep. No arguments, Dean. I'll wake you when Cas is up to company.” and went back to her patient.

Dean staggered over to the fire and sat down, he smiled gratefully at Sam as he handed him a plate of food. The eggs were bland, but Dean couldn't be bothered to add salt, he drank his willow bark tea in one gulp and shovelled the food in as fast as he could before laying down gingerly on a bedroll and falling asleep instantly.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*
> 
> This chapter is so sweet, it gave Gabriel diabetes. Seriously, fluff, as far as the eye can see.   
> It's so goddamn cute, I want to marry it and have cute little chapter babies.   
> *Awkward silence*
> 
> No warnings except for maybe checking your twitter feed for some salt to balance out all the sweetness.

**Chapter Sixteen.**

 

Dean woke to a light breeze coming from outside the large roughly constructed tent. He yawned and stretched, wincing as his now unrestricted arm protested. The new splint was more robust, but less bulky and although his arm throbbed, the stiffness in his shoulder and back had settled down to a manageable level. It was only now it had eased, that he realised how much pain he had been in before. It amazed him what the human body could get used to.   


Sitting up, he scanned the tent, it was empty except for himself and the two patients, both of whom were sitting propped up in their bedrolls on the floor. Neither looked fully awake.   


At some point whilst he slept, the sectioned off area had been disassembled and the patients had been moved. The floor of the tent had been swept clear of rocks, leaves and pine needles and the bare earth had been tamped down. The fire in the centre now had new rocks surrounding it, the flat surfaces had various pots and pans stacked on them. The crates had all been stacked off to one side and acted as a larder of sorts. It looked like everyone had been busy.   


Rolling carefully from his bedroll to his feet, Dean stood and walked in the direction of the door.

Pulling open the section of tarp, he stepped outside into the early spring sunshine. 

 

“Hey, sleepyhead! Are you hungry?” said Charlie, who sat cross-legged against a log as she washed dishes in a large basin and stacked them into a basket next to her.   


“A little. Where is everyone?” he asked, looking around before sitting on the log next to Charlie.  


“Amy is cleaning some animal skins, her dad is a trapper and she learned it all from him. She showed Benny some simple stuff and he's off setting some now. Ellen took some of our clothes and she's washing them down by the river. It's nice to have something clean to wear, I thought we were gonna have to burn our old stuff. Sam and Jess are looking for plants and stuff, she needs certain things for medicines and some of it grows in places like this. Bobby is checking over your truck. He reckons it'll make it back to his though.” said Charlie, stacking the last dish and leaning back to look at Dean and smile.   


“Well, you guys have all been busy, what am I supposed to do?” said Dean, grumpily.   


“You're hurt. You took a beating and you're supposed to rest. Jess gave me orders to make sure you stay put.” she said, standing and lifting the basin, she walked over to a tree and emptied the basin amongst the roots.   


“Well, that fuckin' sucks.” said Dean, moodily.   


“Yeah, for us. We have to pick up your slack, lazybones.” joked Charlie. “C'mon, lets go check on the real patients.”   


Dean huffed a laugh as Charlie gave his good shoulder a friendly shove and lifted the basket of dishes, carrying them back inside the tent as Dean followed.   


“Get something to eat, the broth is still good and Ellen made flatbread. Bobby brought actual butter. It's in the dish over there.” Charlie pointed to the crates stacked off to one side as she put the basket down and handed Dean a clean dish and a spoon.   


Charlie busied herself stacking firewood, making several trips in and out of the tent as Dean wolfed down a bowl of the broth with the bread and butter. Barely finishing before Charlie snatched the now empty dish and pointed over to where Castiel was stirring awake, he was groaning a little in pain.  


“Ellen's gonna need my help to hang the wet clothes, can you keep an eye on those two for me? Looks like Cas could do with a little more poppy syrup. Jess left a measure ready for when he woke up. Jo's only just gone back to sleep, so she's good.”  


Dean nodded, standing up to make his way over to sit next to Cas on the floor by his bedroll.

 

“Hey man, how's it going? You need some water? Poppy syrup?” said Dean, soothingly as Cas shifted uncomfortably.  


Cas looked up as if just noticing Dean had sat down for the first time, his face split into a huge dopey smile and his eyes were glassy and only half open, he seemed to be having trouble holding his head up.  


“Hello Dean.” he rasped, his throat sounded dry.   


Dean huffed a laugh and held a cup of water to Cas' lips, tilting it slightly as Cas drank greedily.  


“You look much better than you did yesterday, dude. You gave us all a bit of a scare.” said Dean, pulling the cup away, and watching the stray drops of water trickle from Cas' chin. His eyes tracked the water as it rolled down Cas' neck and settled in the dip in his collarbone. Cas didn't seem to notice.  


“I apologise. Next time, I'll keep a better grip on my blade. Or at least get stabbed in a less dramatic way.” snarked Cas, gritting his teeth as a wave of pain hit.  


Dean chuckled as he reached for the measure of poppy syrup. “Looks like you need another dose. Jess left this for you, for when you woke up.” he held the small cup in front of Cas' face.   


Cas grimaced and tried to push the cup away, forcing Dean to dodge his flailing arm.  


“Aw c'mon, don't be a big baby. There's no need to be in pain when you can be blissfully stoned instead.” Dean wheedled.   


“Then you take it. It makes me feel out of control. I don't like it.” said Cas grumpily.  


“No-one likes it. But you had surgery last night man. So you need it.” said Dean reasonably.

“C'mon man, don't make me sit on you and hold your nose. I used to do it to Sam when he wouldn't take his medicine. I swear, I'll do it. Don't think I won't.”   


Cas frowned at Dean, seeming to weigh up whether Dean would actually do it. He relaxed and sighed.  


“Fine. But not yet, I want to have a clear head for at least a little while. I don't remember much from yesterday and when I woke up earlier, it disturbed me to find I'd missed so much.” said Cas, almost pleading.   


“Okay, that's fair. That's gotta have been a little scary. Did anyone explain to you?” said Dean, sympathetically. 

“Yes, when I first woke up, Ellen was with me, she told me most of it. Then Jess checked me over, she seems nice by the way. Your brother Sam explained the rest. He's.....very tall.” Cas trailed off, causing Dean to stifle a laugh.  


“Yeah, I dunno where he gets that from, I think he's part moose. It's weird 'cause he was a scrawny baby. My not-so-little brother.” smiled Dean, as he began to fuss with the blanket covering Cas, who looked at him confusedly as Dean straightened and smoothed it out.   


“He thanked me for saving you. I don't think I did very much, or anything that anyone else wouldn't have done. As I said, I rescued you by accident, it wasn't my original intention.” Cas frowned as Dean tried to tuck his arms in. He pulled his arms out of the blanket and laid them back over the top, making Dean huff in frustration.   


“That's why it  _ is _ a big deal, man. You didn't even hesitate to get us out. Like, it didn't even cross your mind to leave us. You could have left me down that hole and no-one would have been any the wiser that you had even been there. You could have gone on your merry way with your information and by the time anyone did anything with it, we would have been gone. Given to some asshole Alpha as a playtoy. Then when we did get out, you could have left us  _ again _ . But you wanted to make sure we all got home to our families. It mattered to you that we were safe. On top of that, you saved my life when that rat-faced bastard tried to back-stab me.” Dean said passionately, his voice thick with emotion. “What you did, was not nothin'. We can never thank you enough.”

 

Cas looked embarrassed at Deans outburst and Dean was similarly mortified. An awkward silence followed.

 

“Anyway, is there anything you need? More water? Another blanket?” said Dean quietly.  


“Um, yes. But... uh..” Cas stumbled over his words and looked even more embarrassed.  


“What dude? Tell me.” said Dean earnestly.   


“Well, I..uh..I kind of need to..um..go to the bathroom.” said Cas, blushing furiously.   


“Oh. Oh! Uh... how are we gonna make that work?” said Dean, floundering slightly.   


“I have no idea. But it's getting to be quite urgent and I don't seem to wearing any pants. Or underwear for that matter.” said Cas, clearly uncomfortable and surprised at the overshare.   


“To be clear, it's just a number one, right?” said Dean, looking slightly panicked and startling a laugh out of Cas.  


“Yes! Ow, Jesus, don't make me laugh.” Cas groaned “It hurts when I laugh.” he curled in on himself slightly and grimaced in pain.  


Dean winced “Sorry man. I guess you can't really get out of bed yet, so I should maybe find something for you to pee in?” he said, looking around frantically.   


“Please. Make sure what ever it is, it can hold a lot.” said Cas, watching Dean search the tent for something.   


Dean found a basin and held it up over his head triumphantly and Cas had to stifle another laugh.   


“Okay, so, um... Can you do it yourself, or...” said Dean awkwardly as he handed the basin to Cas and stepped back.   


“What? Oh. Yes, I think so. If I roll on my good side, I can do it that way. Although... with one hand holding me up and the other.. um.. aiming, it'll be tricky to balance the basin. I don't want it to tip over, or all of this will be a wasted effort.” said Cas, looking a little troubled.  


“Good point.” Dean sighed and closed his eyes in resignation. “Fine, I'll hold it.”  


Cas snorted a laugh and then grimaced in pain again.  


Dean realised what he'd said and backtracked hurriedly “The basin! Jesus, you pervert. You know what? I should just leave you to it.” he sniped, clearly embarrassed.  


Cas gave him a look that was equal parts pleading and desperate and Dean caved.  


“Okay, alright. Knock it off with the puppy eyes, okay? I'll help you. Jeez.” he huffed and grabbed the basin back from Cas.   


A little bit of awkward shuffling later, Cas was on his side and Dean held the basin on the edge of the bedroll, he faced away with his cheeks on fire.

 

There was a splash and Cas groaned in relief as he finally emptied his bladder.

 

“Y'know, I'm pretty sure that me holding a bowl while you take a piss in it makes us even, dude.” said Dean, jokingly.   


Cas huffed a laugh as he finally finished with a shake and muttered “Agreed.”  


“Okay, I'm gonna go get rid of this, you get yourself comfortable and after I scrub my hands clean, I'll come back and you can take your medicine. No arguments.” said Dean standing up and holding the basin away from himself.  


Cas looked abashed and nodded. He was pale and sweaty, the pain was obviously getting to him after all of the shuffling around.   


“Dean.”   


“Yeah, Cas?”  


“Thank you.”  


“No problem, dude.” chuckled Dean as he carefully walked out of the tent holding the basin.

 

Cas tried to get comfortable, but the pain was so strong it forced him to breathe in tiny gasps and he felt dizzy. He tried to rearrange the blanket, but only succeeded in tangling it further. He groaned in frustration as the pillow he was using slid out from behind him and onto the floor, forcing him to half sit up and it was putting pressure on his wound.

 

“Dude, what are you doing? Are you trying to hurt yourself, or flash your junk? 'cause you're doing a pretty good job of both right now” said Dean rushing back to Cas' bedside, joking to mask his concern.  


Cas blinked as his eyes began to gloss with tears of pain and frustration and Dean's heart hurt for him.  


“It hurts...can't turn properly.” Cas muttered as Dean grabbed his arms to stop him flailing.  


“I know, c'mon breath slow or your gonna pass out. I'll fix your pillow and blanket, we'll get you turned over properly. We'll do it together, okay?” soothed Dean, rearranging the blanket to spare Cas' blushes.   


“Okay.” Cas panted, gripping Deans arms as Dean held him up.  


“First we're gonna get that medicine into you. Once it starts working we'll move you. I'll wait, I got nowhere else to be. You don't gotta rush, dude.” said Dean, reaching for the measure of poppy syrup and held it to Cas' lips so he could drink it down.

 

They sat there quietly as Dean perched on the edge of Cas' bedroll supporting the Alphas weight, holding him upright against his own body. Cas gritting his teeth and panting through the pain until he began to relax in increments and his breathing evened out. Dean suddenly realised he had been running his hand through Cas' hair as the Alpha had rested his head on Deans shoulder. He froze and stiffened causing Cas to look up at him with glassy, confused eyes.   


“Sorry man. I didn't even realise I was doing it.” said Dean, blushing furiously.  


“S'ok. S'nice.” slurred Cas with a dopey grin, as he slumped further into Dean and nuzzled slightly, gripping Dean around the waist. Dean briefly thought of Alistair and his way of petting them after a beating, he struggled with it for a second but pushed it to the back of his mind. This wasn't the same thing.  


Dean huffed an embarrassed laugh and resumed stroking Cas' hair, much to the Alphas delight.  


“So, who'd have thought the big bad Alpha was a secret cuddle monster, huh?” chuckled Dean, resting his cheek on the top of Cas' head as Cas just hummed in contentment.   


“I suppose it's the least I can do, you did save my life after all. But we have to get you lying down soon, you can't sleep like this, big guy.” chuckling as Cas made a noise of discontentment and snuggled further into Deans shoulder.   


“Yeah, I know huggy bear. Just work with me on this and I won't ruin your image as the strong silent type. Besides, I kind of have to pee now too, and you aren't exactly light, dude.” said Dean looking down at Cas as he frowned and sat up, a grumpy look on his face.   


“That's it. Lemme just adjust these blankets, so you don't flash everyone, you should retain some mystery. You'll get a reputation and I don't think you're the type of girl who puts out on the first date.” Dean ran commentary as he tugged the blankets into place, and replaced the pillow.  


“Let's get you rolled over there. That's it. There, try and get some sleep, okay big guy?” said Dean as he helped Cas get comfortable. Cas gave a sleepy smile as his eyes drooped and he fell asleep almost instantly. 

 

Dean tucked the blanket around him securely and ran his hand through the Alphas hair one last time as he looked at him fondly. He was still smiling as he stood and turned to see Charlie standing in the doorway with a smirk on her face.  


“Well, that was fucking adorable.” she declared, smiling. “And before you ask, I've been here just long enough to see the cuddle fest, so there's that.” she smiled smugly.  


“So? The poor guy hasn't got any inhibitions because of the poppy syrup, he doesn't really know what he's doing. What am I supposed to do? Push him off? He had surgery  _ last night _ , I would have hurt him.” said Dean defensively. A little annoyed at Charlie's knowing look.  


“Oh, I know. It's not like you were petting him affectionately or anything. Oh, wait! You  _ were _ . As for the pet names, like I said, adorable.” Charlie looked positively gleeful.  


“Fuck off, Charlie. I'm not gonna perv on an invalid. I helped the guy to take a piss, alright? Something you would have freaked out over 'cause of your "aversion to dicks" or whatever.” sniped Dean nastily.  


Charlie just shrugged “Worked out well for everyone then, didn't it? Huggy bear.” she said smartly and stomped off, leaving Dean open mouthed with no reply. 

 

Dean sulked outside the tent, sitting in the sunshine for a while. Too embarrassed to even look at Cas, even if Cas was unaware of his and Charlie's conversation. He amused himself by weaving bits of grass into a doll, like he and Sam had done when they were children.  


Hearing voices he looked up to see Sam and Jess making their way through the trees, Sam was carrying a basket filled with various leaves, flowers and roots. They were pressed as close as two separate people could be, whilst walking arm in arm. Both their faces wore expressions of adoration and the joy of just being together radiated off them.   


Dean felt like he was intruding by just looking at them. He coughed loudly to announce his presence and they both turned to look at him, matching smiles on their faces.  


“Hey! Look who's awake. I thought you'd be out for a while yet, or we would have been back sooner.” said Sam, looking at Jess adoringly.   


“Sure you did. Nothing to do with spending some quality time with Jess here, huh? Can't really blame you, she's a catch. Although her judgements a little off, she did pick you after all.” joked Dean, flicking a leaf at his brother.  


“There I was worried that you'd changed, but you're still a jerk I see.” laughed Sam, swatting the leaf away.  


Jess rolled her eyes and took the basket from Sam. “How are my patients? Any trouble?” she directed at Dean, who flushed bright red.  


“Uh... Cas woke up and really needed the bathroom, so I kinda had to..help.” Dean admitted.   


“Please tell me you didn't get him out of bed.” said Jess, in a slightly panicked voice as she took a few hurried steps towards the tent.  


“No! No, of course not.” Dean said hurriedly, following Jess. “We had to improvise and use a basin. Don't use the blue one for cooking, by the way.” Dean grimaced.   


“I'm sorry, I should have been here. I actually have a special bottle for that, I should have given it to Charlie before I left. I didn't expect to be gone so long though.” she slid her gaze to Sam, who blushed. “Thank you Dean.” she added.  


Dean just shrugged and then noticed the blanket Sam had folded under his arm and the penny dropped. He groaned and Sam blushed harder, Jess just chuckled and stepped inside the tent.  


“Really, Sam? I was just kidding, but you guys actually sneaked off to  _ do the do _ . You dog.” teased Dean, laughing at Sam's embarrassment.   


“Shut up, Jerk.” mumbled Sam.   


“So while everyone was off doing busywork, you were working on gettin' busy. I'm proud of you, man.” Dean thumped his brothers shoulder and doubled over laughing.   


“Dean! You are such an asshole. I swear.” Sam prepared to storm off, but Dean stopped him.  


“I'm just teasing dude. You only just mated, and sharing a tent with all of us don't give you guys much personal time. It's to be expected. Don't worry, I won't say anything. Much.” said Dean, smiling at his brother.   


Sam reluctantly smiled back and shoved his brother gently away. “Still, it's lucky that you're injured or I'd have to hurt you.” he teased back.   


“Yeah, right. Lucky for you maybe.” said Dean, shoving back.  


“Boys! Give it a rest, if you disturb my patients, I'll be forced to create a couple more. I'm a medic , and I know how to hurt you terribly in non-fatal ways. Go and do some brotherly bonding elsewhere, will you?” said Jess, standing in the doorway of the tent, her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face.   


“Uh oh. You're in trouble with the missus. Honeymoon period is over then, I take it? That was fast.” joked Dean as he dodged a swipe from Jess. “Okay! We'll go away, just don't hit me.” he laughed.  


“Sam, don't bring him back until he's stopped being an obnoxious little shit.” said Jess, also laughing.   


“But, then I'd never see you again.” said Sam, fake pouting as Jess snorted and Dean frowned  


“Hey! You two are obviously made for each other, you're ganging up on me already. Fine, I know where I stand.” he wiped fake tears from his eyes and fake sobbed until Jess hit him again.  


“Just, go away. Go do brother stuff. Bobby is making chilli tonight, come back then.” she ordered laughing again.  


“Never let it be said that Dean Winchester outstays his welcome, C'mon Sam. Lets give the lady some space.” said Dean, as he rolled his eyes at Sam and Jess kissing each other goodbye.

 

Dean wandered slowly away from the tent, heading in no particular direction. He turned to smile as Sam ran to catch up, slapping his brother on the shoulder as he did so.   


“So, feel like aggravating Bobby? Or we could try to catch some fish in the river?” suggested Dean.  


“Nah, I've got a better idea.” said Sam, taking a bottle from behind his back and grinning.  


“Sam, you sneaky fucking genius! That's Bobby's emergency whiskey. He'll kill you, but at least you won't feel any pain when you're dying.” said Dean, open mouthed with shock as he took the bottle and inspected it.  


“Oh, I don't think he'll mind. Considering he thinks I drank this months ago. I stole it intending to, after Dad and everything, but I ended up drinking some concoction of Garth's instead. His moonshine almost blew my head off. So I saved it for when we found you and we could drink to Dad's memory together.” said Sam, with a sad smile.   


“Yeah, that does deserve the good stuff. Good thinkin' dude. Now, lets go get drunk.” 

 

Two thirds of the bottle in and the Winchesters were feeling no pain. They were perched on the riverbank, lying back against a fallen tree watching the sunset.  


“Wassit like Sammy?” slurred Dean, trying to flick Sam's ear but missing and flicking his hair instead.  


“Whayya mean?” slurred Sam, trying to smooth down his hair, but only managed to tangle it further.  


“Bein' wif an Alpha? Issit good? Bein' knotted I mean?” said Dean, making a helpful obscene gesture with his hands, just in case Sam missed his meaning.  


Sam tried to look disgusted but spoiled it by giggling instead.   


“I's good. Bin missin' out. I's sooo goood. I love Jess, y'know? I jus' wanna spen' all my time inna bed. Y'should try it. Not wif Jess tho. I love her.” rambled Sam.  


“Das good Sammy. As long as she dun hurt my Sammy, I like her. If she hurt my Sammy, I cut off her knot.” said Dean as vehemently as he could whilst swaying.   


“Noooo. “ moaned Sam. “I need dat. We gonna haf babies, Dean. I wan' lotsa babies. Y'gonna be a uncle.” Sam said earnestly, trying to sit up and look at Dean and only managing half of each.  


“Das so fuggin cute, man. You guys gonna make da cutest moose babies ever.” Dean started crying and reaching for Sam who had also started crying.  


“Youse gonna be such a good uncle, Dean. My cute mooose babies will haf da best uncle, coz I gotsa best brother.” sobbed Sam.  


“Youse gonna be da bes' dad, Sammy. Coz ya learned fromma best. I hep you too, promis'. I so happy for you. I has da bes' bro ever.” said Dean, gripping Sam in a hug that vaguely resembled a headlock and sobbing loudly. 

 

Neither of them heard the footsteps approaching them from behind.

 

 

 

“I think these belong to you.” said Benny, supporting a Winchester under each arm. Both Omegas were red eyed from crying and swaying alarmingly.   


“Holy crap, they are  _ ruined _ .” laughed Charlie. As Jess and Bobby sprang up to each grab a Winchester and ease Benny's burden.   


“I told them to go and do some brotherly bonding, not... whatever this is.” sighed Jess, taking some of Sam's weight and walking him over to their bedroll.  


“Yeah, well. Just be glad these two idjits didn't get into a fight. The booze is pretty standard, but the outcome varies. Can't say I've seen the cryin' before though, that's new.” said Bobby, ruefully as he guided Dean down onto his bedroll.   


Benny produced the remainder of the bottle of stolen whiskey and Bobby rolled his eyes.   


“Yep, that'd do it. Idjits are lucky I watered it down or they'd be dead. Not like tomorrow when they'll just wish they were.” Bobby gruffed.   


Jess shook her head and laid Sam out on his side with a bowl by his head, before moving to do the same for Dean.   


Ellen chuckled as she moved to help, taking Deans boots off as Jess struggled with Sam's.   


“Oh, boy. These boys are gonna regret this come morning.” crowed Charlie, from her spot by the fire.  


“Understatement.” gruffed Bobby. “I reckon we should all turn in early tonight. Make sure we're all up at first light to wake 'em up properly with an early bath, don't you think? ” his eyes twinkled with mischief.  


“That sounds like the best idea I've heard in a long time.” Jess smirked evilly as everyone laughed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*  
> I'm sorry that it's been a month, my laptop decided that it fancied a new career as a paperweight. It didn't even die a heroes death, it just keeled over as I edited another fic that I'm writing.
> 
> Speaking of which, I started a new fic! It's a fantasy AU with Kings, magic and political intrigue, epic battles and mysteries. I have the first chapter done, and it's over 7000 words. Yikes. It's called Magik Unbound, I really hope some of you will like it. Keep an eye out for it, I'll start posting it soon. 
> 
> This is a bit of a filler chapter, it needed to go in here though. The next chapter starts to get a little more of the overall plot, although I have put clues in previous chapters. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are my bread and butter. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me.

Chapter Seventeen.

Cas had never been a morning person. This morning was no exception. He'd awoken to the sound of whining and the scent of Omega distress, something he'd always been particularly sensitive to. He tried to sit up to find the source only to grunt in agony at the pain lancing up his side. Jess was at his side immediately, holding a cup with a measure of poppy syrup to his lips and pushing him gently back down onto the bed. He protested and fought, even growling lowly, but Benny had appeared at the other side of his bed and added his strength to holding him down, preventing him from hurting himself or anyone else.

“It's okay, Cas. Everyone is okay. There is nothing wrong with Dean and Sam that isn't self inflicted. They smell distressed because they're hungover. No-one is in any danger, I promise.” Jess crooned and Cas relaxed, allowing Jess to feed him the sickly sweet liquid.

Benny released him and patted him on the shoulder. “Looking good, chief. Bet that gave you quite the scare, that smell always got to me too. Never could stomach it. Don't worry, we'll get 'em outside in the fresh air in a bit an' give your nose a bit of a break.” he said kindly. Cas frowned and nodded. He looked over to the other side of the tent to see Dean curled into a ball whimpering and Sam hunched over a bowl, dry retching. Benny chuckled and stood up “I'm gonna go check the traps I set yesterday, see if we caught anything. I'll see y'all later.” he nodded to Jess and walked out of the tent.

Cas turned to look at Jess who was smiling. “For someone who was a deaths door a couple of days ago, you are looking a lot better than those two idiots are this morning. We'll wait for the medicine to kick in a little bit and then I'll check your wound, okay?” she said, patting his hand. Cas gave a weak smile and nodded as she stepped away.

“Hey Cas, she's right. You do look better.” said a voice to his left, he turned to see Jo sitting up with a tired smile on her face, a large bruise covered her right temple. He smiled back. “You too.” he replied, his voice cracking. “We seem to be doing better than those two dumb asses. You should have seen them last night, neither of them could stand. Benny found them out on the riverbank crying and wailing and oblivious to anything sneaking up on them. There are wolves around here, the morons.” said Jo, shaking her head ruefully.

“Why...why were they drinking?” asked Cas, frowning and looking over at the hungover Omegas worriedly.

“They said something about brotherly bonding. I'm not sure why that takes a bottle of whiskey, but I'm an only child, so maybe I missed something.” said Jo with a laugh.

Cas thought about his own siblings and considered whether his relationship with them could be improved with a lot of alcohol. It was certainly something to think about, and he said so to Jo, who laughed so hard that Dean clutched his head and whined.

“Aww, you big baby. Try having a concussion and then come back to me whining about a headache.” jeered Jo to Dean who was trying unsuccessfully to sit up. He managed a crawling lurch and vomited into the basin that Jess had left next to him, sparking Sam off into another round of retching.

Cas cringed and looked at Jess, who looked fed up. She gave Cas a small smile and said “Don't worry, I'll give them some willow bark and get some water in them and they'll be fine by lunchtime. I know the distress smell is affecting you and it's probably sending your instincts crazy right now, that's why the others have decided to be elsewhere. Let me tell you though, that what you are feeling right now, is nothing compared to smelling your mate in distress.”

Cas felt a wave of sympathy for Jess, newly mated, her instincts must be off the charts and virtually agony. He wondered how she was holding herself together. His horror must have shown on his face, when she winked and held up a jar and pointed to her top lip where she had smeared some of the paste from the jar. Camphor.

Cas chuckled, Jess was a genius, of course she would find a way around her own instincts. She looked apologetic for a second. “I can't do this for you I'm afraid. It could make you sneeze or cough and you could burst your stitches. We can't risk it, I'm sorry.” she said sadly. Cas just nodded. The poppy syrup was beginning to work and he felt the familiar fogginess starting to creep in. He began to sink down into his bed. Jess smiled “Looks like the medicine is kicking in, I'll check your wound and we'll clean and re-dress it with fresh bandages.” she said brightly. “Now, if I allow you some pants, will you promise me that you won't start wandering about? I will allow you small movements today, but still no trips outside to the bathroom, I'm afraid. Jo is moving her bedroll so you'll have a little privacy for that at least.” Cas nodded eagerly, he was not suited to enforced rest.

“Good. If all goes well today, we are going to head back to Bobby's tomorrow. It all depends on you. The journey is going to be hard on you so my plan is to dose you up and you'll sleep for most of the trip. Bobby wants all of the injured in his truck as it's the most reliable vehicle. Everyone else will be in the other truck. We're hoping that we can do the journey in one go.” Jess explained as she set up her things next to Cas' bed. That sounded like a solid plan to Cas. He sat still as Jess carefully examined him, answering all of her questions and complying with all of her requests. She finished re-bandaging his wound and smiled. “No sign of infection, you're healing really fast, if you keep going at this rate, you'll be back on your feet properly in a month.”

Cas looked devastated. “A month? I can't stay for a month! That's ridiculous. I have to get back to my clan. They need me! I can stay a week at most.” he said desperately.

Jess looked sympathetic but shook her head. “Cas, I'm sorry. You do get that you nearly died, right? You lost a lot of blood and you are still at risk from infection. If you try to travel after a week, I'm pretty sure you won't make it. I'd be surprised if you made it off the edge of Bobby's homestead after a week, if I'm honest.” she said patting his hand sympathetically.

Cas nodded sadly. “I understand. It's not ideal, but I understand. Thank you, Jess. You saved my life.” he said earnestly, trying to make up for his earlier outburst.

Jess' smile was back. “You can thank me by being a good patient and getting better. Now shall we see about those pants?” she laughed as Cas looked excited at the prospect of modesty. “Yes. I think I made Dean uncomfortable yesterday when I accidentally kicked the blanket off. I got tangled and he had to help me. I fear I may have embarrassed us both.” Cas whispered and Jess burst out laughing. “Yes, Charlie told us about that. Don't worry, it's not something either of you have to be embarrassed about. Dean just got a little defensive and he makes it too easy to tease him.”

After carefully wriggling into a pair of simple cotton pants with Jess' help, Cas let her adjust his bedding until he was comfortable. He felt sleepy and yawned widely, making his jaw crack. “Take a nap if you need to, Cas. We'll get some broth ready for when you wake up.” said Jess. Cas nodded and within moments was sound asleep.

 

Waking up a few hours later was a more pleasant experience than the first time. The scent of Omega distress had gone and the smell of Ellen's stew wafted throughout the large tent. Cas shifted slightly, pushing the blanket down and stretching his arms, wincing slightly as the movement tugged on his stitches.

“Dean was right, you don't make a sound when you sleep, it's really weird. I have to keep checking that you're still breathing.” said Jess from where she was sitting a few feet away, making Cas jump.

“I was unaware that snoring was a desired trait.” he said dryly, smiling at Jess who was not even trying to hide her amusement.

“Oh yeah, that's what attracted me to Sam. Once I heard those ear splitting moose snores, I was a goner. I had to have him.” she joked, laughing again as Cas winced in sympathy.

“Where is everyone?” said Cas, looking around at the empty camp.

“Down by the trucks, they want to make the journey as easy as possible for the injured, so they are making some adjustments. Also the truck you were all in before is still kind of uh...gory, so Sam and Dean got the job of cleaning that up, as punishment for last night.” said Jess, grimacing.

“Everyone? Surely not everyone is working on the trucks?” said Cas looking puzzled.

“No, most of them are just watching Sam and Dean gag and heave their way through cleaning up the truck. The idiots could have got themselves killed, they kept everyone awake last night and then they bitched at everyone all day. So no-one has much sympathy for them.” said Jess, her eyes twinkling.

Cas chuckled, it was obvious from the look on Jess' face that she wasn't really mad at the two Omegas, but they had scared her with their reckless behaviour and so felt the punishment was just.

The low chuckles from the Alphas were interrupted by Bobby strolling in with a grumpy look on his face. “Those boys are gonna be the death of me. Nearly killed 'emselves by stealin' my booze and it's apparently everyone else's fault. They're still whinin' and bitchin' down there. Dean mostly, I came up here before I put my foot in his ass.” Bobby grumbled.

“Well, that's my cue to administer some more painkillers and fluids to the poor stricken Omegas, and if necessary, a foot in the ass if the first two don't work.” sighed Jess as she began gathering items into her basket as both Bobby and Castiel tried to hide smiles at her put upon expression. They watched her as she adjusted the basket on her arm and with a wink and a wave, strolled out of the tent to go tend to her mate and his brother.

“Those boys ain't gonna know what hit 'em.” chuckled Bobby. “I believe you may be right.” murmured Cas nodding as Bobby took a seat on the crate next to Castiel's bed.

“I ain't had time to thank you for saving Dean. I'd be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity right now. So, thank you.” said Bobby, seriously.

Castiel looked a little surprised at the sudden turnaround of the conversation, with a half shrug he replied “I was glad to do it. It wasn't what I originally intended, as I told Dean, I found them by accident. Once I did, there was no way I could leave them there in good conscience.”

Bobby narrowed his eyes slightly “That's just it, what were you doing there in the first place? It's these 'original intentions' that have got me concerned.” he said gruffly.

Castiel chuckled making Bobby frown again. “It seems to make everyone concerned. Ellen and I had the same conversation, although she was not as subtle as you. If you could possibly reach my pack for me, I'll show you.” he said, pointing to where his pack was just out of reach.

Bobby shifted in his seat to see where Castiel was pointing and nodded before reaching over to pass the pack into Castiels reach. “Dean hardly told me anythin'. Just hinted that other stuff was goin' on. I have a feelin' that I should know what that is.” said Bobby, a curious look on his face as Castiel began to remove papers from the pack, laying them out on the bed carefully.

“Yes, you probably should. But I ask that you do not share this information with your network. It would jeopardise my mission and place all of us in danger.” said Castiel gravely.

“Well, that doesn't sound ominous at all.” Bobby replied sarcastically.

Castiel launched into a detailed explanation of his mission, the massacre and the rescue. After the previous explanations, his retelling was more practised and smooth and he barely faltered over his description of finding his clan-mates butchered. Bobby asked the occasional question for clarification, but was for the most part silent as he gazed over the maps and notations that Castiel had made. They were so engrossed that they largely ignored the comings and goings of the rest of the camps occupants as they came and went about their business. In fact, they were so engrossed that Castiel didn't realise how much the poppy syrup had all but worn off until Bobby halted his detailed description of the compound with a hand on his arm.

“Son, I think you'd better take some more of that medicine. I can barely see the map because you're shakin' so hard.” he said gently.

Castiel grimaced, but nodded. He was pale and sweaty as well as shaking. The pain had crept up on him and he gritted his teeth as it lanced up his side and into his shoulder. He took the cup Bobby offered gratefully and swallowed down the contents. “Thank you, Bobby. I'll be fine to continue in a moment. If you'll just give me a few minutes for the medicine to work.” he said grimacing slightly.

Bobby chuckled and stood, looking down at the younger Alpha. “There's no rush, son. We should probably get some food in you anyway. That stew smells pretty good, I'll rustle up a couple of bowlfuls for us before the rest of the heathens come chargin' in. Sound good?” he said with a questioning look on his face.

Castiels stomach grumbled in answer prompting Bobby to laugh. “That answers that question, don't it?” he said, moving to carry out his suggestion.

He returned a few minutes later, carefully handing Cas a bowl and spoon before taking his seat and digging into his own meal. Cas tentatively took a bite, his eyes fluttering closed with a satisfied groan as he tasted his first solid food in days. “Good, ain't it?” said Bobby, smirking as Cas dug in with enthusiasm. “Should probably take it slow though, don't wanna make ya sick. It'd be a waste of good food. Ellen put a lot of effort into makin' it, the least you can do is actually taste it on the way down.”

Cas nodded and it seemed an actual effort for him to slow down and savour the food. The medicine was beginning to kick in and the combination of warm food and poppy syrup took its toll as his eyes began to droop. He tried to fight it, but the second time the bowl almost slipped from his fingers Bobby intervened. “I think you might be done, boy. Take a nap and I'll take a look at your info, we'll finish up our chat when you wake up.” he said quietly as he took the bowl from Cas' loose grip. Cas couldn't even answer as he slumped down, falling asleep almost immediately.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*  
> Don't you love technology? After my old craptop died, the BRAND NEW replacement craptop decided to commit suicide too. It pissed me off because I lost my chapter outlines that I hadn't backed up yet. *fumes*   
> Now I'm borrowing the business laptop, my husband thinks I'm doing invoices and I'm working really hard.   
> Nope. 
> 
> So, to make up for not posting in a while, have a nice, big chapter. 5000 words.  
> The first hints of Destiel and some emotional whiplash in this, plus a little bit on how the differences between the genders and their instincts work.

**Chapter Eighteen.**

 

The journey to Bobby's homestead had been planned with military efficiency. Everyone knew their role and an hour after dawn, the camp had been broken down and the trucks loaded with everything they would be taking with them. The trash being burned or buried and all evidence of their occupation covered up.

 

Bobby led the way in his truck. Dean, Cas and Jo were laid out carefully in the back, Jess up front with Bobby, whilst Sam drove the other truck with the rest of the group following behind. Sam and Bobby keeping each other updated on their passengers by the radios in each truck.

Cas slept deeply, the poppy syrup doing its job of keeping him comfortable. Jo and Dean kept a watchful eye over their fellow patient, cushioning him over the occasional bit of rough ground that Bobby was forced to take.

 

They ate on the go, no-one had been comfortable with the idea of stopping for a meal, but by late afternoon it became apparent that the passengers needed to stretch their legs and take a bathroom break, so Bobby pulled over onto a small cracked concrete area next to the water and the relieved passengers poured out of the trucks, groaning and stretching before dashing off in different directions to empty their bladders.

Dean stood staring over the water, the ruins of several tall buildings broke the surface of the lake, giving it an eerie look under the thickening dark clouds in the sky. He looked over as Benny approached and stood next to him.

 

“That's a familiar sight where I'm from on the coast. Huge cities underwater. Hundreds of years of hurricanes and no-one left to care, they just got swallowed up by the ocean. I used to sail my boat around the buildin's tryin' to picture what the city looked like before. Me and my buddy used to explore the more stable towers. Never found anythin' other than concrete an' bird shit though.” drawled the big Alpha staring wistfully at the flooded city and Dean huffed a sad laugh.

“You miss it?” said Dean, looking questioningly at Benny.

“Nah, it's only home if you've got folks that make it that way. My clan was dyin' out, too many beta births and one raid too many. Happens sometimes to the smaller, more isolated clans. It's why I had no kin left when I met Andrea.” said Benny sadly.

“We weren't raised in a clan. Our settlement burned to the ground when Sammy was a baby and my dad kept us movin' after that. With two un-mated male Omegas, it made some settlements nervous that they'd be made a target for raids, others were a little _too_ keen to take us in, if y'know what I mean. Our designation gave us a target on our backs from birth. Just 'cause some jackasses want to add a rarity like me or Sam to their collection. Like we're not even human beings, just objects.” said Dean bitterly.

“ I get it. Even those that don't treat ya like possessions are afraid of the people that will, so they push you out. Not to make assumptions or nuthin', but for Omegas, that's a cruelty. You guys thrive on being surrounded by loved ones. It must've been lonely.” said Benny carefully.

Deans face darkened and his eyes narrowed in anger.

“Way to go on not making assumptions, man. We didn't need anyone. We had each other, still do. So fuck you.” he sneered, his lip curling in fury.

Benny held his hands up in supplication and smiled sadly.

“Whoa, hey. It's a fact tis all. I'll let you in on a little secret, it's exactly the same for Alphas, brother. We don't do so good alone either. I'm just tryin' to thank you for lettin' me stick around. I meant what I said about being better. I think that might go easier for me if I had a friend who understands where I'm comin' from, 'cause I know what loneliness feels like.” said Benny, his expression and voice had a slight desperate edge to it.

Dean relaxed his posture slightly but still had a suspicious look on his face. “Why me? You could make friends with the other Alphas, why you gotta make friends with the only un-mated male Omega in the group?” he said, his eyes still narrowed at the Alpha next to him.

Benny huffed a laugh before quickly stifling it. “Nah, it ain't like that, brother. You ain't my type. I just figured that you would be the one to understand me. You had my back when Ellen wanted to put a bullet in it. I forgot what that was like. I ain't had a friend in a long time.” he said, hopefully.

Dean chewed his lip in thought, dropping his eyes to the floor.

 

“We'll see.” he said quietly.

 

 

Cas had begun to stir as Jess checked him over. Her hands were quick and efficient, checking his wound and making sure he was comfortable, before going to check in on her mate in the other truck. Nodding at Dean as he approached the truck. Dean awkwardly climbed back into the truck bed trying not to disturb the patient he thought was still sleeping. Swearing under his breath, he settled down next to the Alpha and peered over, checking whether he had woken his friend and was rewarded with a sleepy eyed smile.

“Hello Dean.” he rasped out, his throat clicking dryly.

“Hey Cas, You need some water?” said Dean, gently. At Castiels nod, he reached for the small flask and held it to the sleepy Alphas lips as he drank greedily.

“There, that's gotta be better, huh? Nothin' worse than dry mouth.” crooned Dean as Cas slumped back down and Dean screwed the flask shut.

“Where are we?” said Cas, his voice a little smoother than before. His eyes still blinked sleepily and his movements were sluggish.

Dean smiled and began smoothing the blankets distractedly, tucking the Alpha in snugly, prompting Cas to immediately wreck them by pulling his arms free. Neither commented on the silent battle over the blankets as Dean replied “We're still a couple of hours out from Bobby's. There used to be a city here, some place called Sioux falls, been flooded a couple of hundred years or so now though.” He began arranging the blankets around the Alpha again, making Cas huff in irritation as he once again pulled his arms free and swatted at Dean's hands as he automatically tried to straighten the blankets again.

Dean blushed slightly at Cas' grumpy face and the Alphas expression immediately softened. “I'm sorry, I didn't...” Dean stuttered out, looking mortified as Cas leaned forward and took his hand, gently squeezing it and looking a little more awake than before.

“No, I'm sorry. I'm not used to having anyone take care of me. So first of all, thank you, Dean. Second, I just wanted my arms free, I didn't mean to imply that your help was unwelcome.” he said softly.

“I didn't realise I was doing it until you stopped me. I'm a little embarrassed to be honest. I guess my Omega instincts kind of took over for a second. I do it with Sammy sometimes, I fuss over him until he gets annoyed with it too.” said Dean quietly, still blushing furiously.

“Caring for people is an admirable trait, it's nothing to be ashamed of. As I said, I just wanted my arms free. Now we've established that, you are free to fuss over me as much as you wish. I have no other objections if you wish to indulge in your “instincts”. I rather like being fussed over if I'm being honest as well.” Cas chuckled with a twinkle in his eye.

Dean couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. “Oh, I see how it is. Typical Alpha, likes having an Omega wait on him hand and foot. Nice try, sunshine.” he said, playfully swatting at Castiel's shoulder.

“Hey! I'm injured. If this is you fussing over me, I may have a few more objections.” whined the Alpha playfully, rubbing his shoulder.

“Oh, fuck off.” laughed Dean as Jess approached the back of the truck, Jo and Bobby just behind her.

“Are you hitting my patient? From a medics point of view, treatment doesn't usually involve violence, as it tends to impede recovery.” said Jess, dryly. Her hands on her hips and her eyebrow arched.

“Hitting _on_ him, more like.” Jo murmured under her breath so only Bobby and Jess could hear. Bobby snorted and moved to settle back into the drivers seat as Jess struggled not to laugh.

“It's my fault, I criticised his nursing skills.” smiled Cas as Dean blushed once again.

“Well, I can see why if he's hitting you.” said Jess with a mock serious look “Really Dean? Picking on the injured? I thought better of you.”

“We all did. I'm so glad you came along when you did, who knows what he would have done to me otherwise.” said Cas, pretending to cry as Jo bent over laughing.

“You little shit. This is what I get for trying to help you.” said Dean, pouting as Cas chuckled and Jess smirked.

“Alright, if everyone is quite finished, we need to get back on the road. Garth says he's prepped a feast, an' I'm lookin' forward to sleepin' in my own bed.” barked Bobby, making everyone scramble.

 

Dean looked surprised as Jess climbed into the back with him and Cas and Jo sat up front with Bobby.

“I'll have to give Cas some more medicine soon, Bobby doesn't want to stop again.” she said in explanation, waving to her mate driving the other truck.

“Makes sense. I bet it has nothing to do with the fact you can see Sam from here either.” smirked Dean.

“That's just one of the perks” she smiled as Sam waved back “Now, shush and let's get bundled under these blankets so we can keep my patient warm.”

 

Cas was sandwiched between Jess and Dean as they huddled together, the spring afternoon was cool and the dry spell looked to be ending as the dark clouds gathered overhead. Dean was grateful for the canvas covering over the truck bed as they continued on towards Bobby's homestead. The sky opened just over an hour later, forcing the trucks to slow down to a crawl due to the reduced visibility and uneven road surface.

Jess had given Cas some more poppy syrup and he was once again asleep, Dean had nodded off a little while after and Jess was drifting somewhere between asleep and awake. Just as the sun began to go down, all three were startled awake by Bobby hitting the horn loudly as he made a sharp turn onto the road leading to the homestead.

“We're here, idjits.” he gruffed, trying not to smile at the three pairs of eyes glaring daggers at him in the reflection in his rear view mirror.

The second truck pulled up next to Bobby's and the group began pouring out, dashing through the heavy rain to the porch where Garth stood grinning and waving. Jess motioned at Dean to wait with Cas as she climbed down and embraced Sam quickly and began organising how they would get Castiel out of the truck and into the house without drowning him in the downpour.

 

Between Sam, Jess and Garth they managed to get Castiel inside to Bobby's library, where he would be sleeping for the for the time being. Bobby showed everyone where they would be sleeping, giving Garth a pat on the back as he passed by as thanks for all his hard work.

The Alphas would be sharing Sam's old room upstairs and the Omegas took over the panic room in the basement. Ellen had looked over it with a critical eye before reluctantly giving Bobby a thumbs up. Dean still had his own room and Garth had merely dusted and put fresh sheets on the bed.

Garth was virtually giddy with excitement at the newcomers after being alone for a few days, the Alphas enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone else and dinner was a festive affair with everyone talking over one another and when Bobby broke out his home brew, it got even louder.

 

Cas was settled in a bed in the library, a small fire warmed the room and he read a book on organic farming techniques by the light of one of the small oil lanterns. He was already well versed on various techniques, having been in charge of the farms in his clan, but the book was interesting nonetheless. He looked up as he heard footsteps approach the open doorway and Dean peered in looking a little glassy eyed from sampling a few mugs of Bobby's home brew.

“Hey, dude. Just wanted to check on you. Felt a bit guilty havin' fun out there with you stuck on your own in here. You doin' okay? Need anythin'?” he said, swaying slightly and taking two attempts to lean on the door frame without missing.

Cas smiled and pointed to the chair by the fire. “I'm fine. This is actually the most comfortable I've been in months. You should probably sit down, Dean.” he said gently.

“I'm okay, man. I'm not drunk.” Dean said, swaying alarmingly. He frowned, then shrugged. “Okay, so I'm a lil' bit drunk. I should probably sit down, you mind?” he said, pointing to the chair, forgetting that Cas had just offered him the same thing.

Cas nodded, trying desperately to hide a smile as Dean staggered over to the chair and collapsed into it.

“So, how you doin', man. You need anythin'?” said Dean, his head bobbing slightly and a soft smile on his lips.

Cas chuckled. “No. I'm fine. It only hurts when I move now.” he pointed to the flask on the table next to his bed. “Perhaps you should drink some water, or you'll feel awful in the morning.”

Dean shrugged, bringing his shoulders up so high they touched his ears. “Nah, I'm good.” he paused to burp into his hand. “Whatcha readin'? Anythin' good? Bobby's got some good books, man. Gets 'em from all over. He don't want the knowledge lost, or somethin'. He's bin collectin' 'em his whole life.” he said, gesturing wildly towards the bookshelves that lined the room.

“I'm reading a book on organic farming techniques, it's rather interesting. I know most of these already, and some don't really apply to where I come from, but I'm always keen to learn more.” said Cas, holding up the book so Dean could see the cover.

Dean made an exaggerated snoring sound and pantomimed falling asleep. “Ugh, booor-ing. At least read an adventure book or somethin' about dragons or some shit.” he hiccuped and slumped slightly further into the chair.

Cas chuckled as he replied “Believe me, I've had enough adventure just lately to last me a while. A little bit of boring will do me some good, I think.”

Dean nodded heavily, pointing his finger at Cas. “Good point, dude.” he looked over at the flask next to Cas. “Wouldja mind if I drank some of your water? I'm gonna feel like shit in the mornin' otherwise.”

 

Huffing a laugh, Cas passed the flask over to Dean who drank it down and passed it back before slumping into the chair heavily.

 

“Is everything okay, Dean? You don't have to keep me company, don't you want to spend time with your friends, or your brother?” Cas asked carefully.

Dean shrugged “Nah, Sam keeps givin' me 'the look' y'know? He wants to know what happened in that compound, an' he just won't let up being so _understanding_ and wanting me to 'talk it out'. Keeps fuckin' tiptoeing around me like I'm a fuckin' unexploded bomb or somethin'.” Dean grumbled.

Cas sighed deeply “I think I understand. Sam is your brother, he cares deeply for you and probably feels a little misplaced guilt. So he wants to help you. He just doesn't realise he is treating you like a victim. Whereas you feel you are more of a survivor. Am I right?” he said, gently.

Dean looked surprised and his eyes were watery. “Dude, that's exactly it. I just want to get back to my life, y'know? What happened was bad, but it my life ain't gotta be all about that from now on, yeah?” he looked a little lost for a second before looking at Cas and giving him a watery smile. “How did you figure it out? Or are you just that smart?”

Cas gave a sad smile. “More like personal experience. Our parents died when Hannah and I were babies. For years we were treated like 'poor unfortunate orphans' by the whole clan, even though we had no memory of our parents and knew no different. We were raised by our Beta aunt and although she was strict, we were loved. It was extremely frustrating.”

Dean nodded sadly. “Sorry man. That sounds fuckin' awful. At least I just have the one to deal with. I dunno how I'd feel if it was a whole clan.” he slumped sideways, blinking slowly. “So, oh wise Alpha. What should I do about Sam? I gotta do something, or I'm gonna end up punching him and he's got an Alpha now who'll probably kick my ass.” he grinned.

Cas huffed a laugh. “I don't doubt that Jess would kick your ass, my ass or anybody's ass who even looked at Sam the wrong way. So punching is probably not the way to go.” he leaned forward, suddenly looking serious and Deans grin fell off his face and he sat up straight. “I'm afraid there is only one option left for you, Dean.”

“What, man? What is it?” said Dean, his eyes wide and his posture stiff.

 

“You have to tell him how you feel.” said Cas gravely.

 

Dean looked agonised and he slumped down in the chair with a whine and even stomped his foot.

“Awww man! Fuck. That. I'd rather get my ass kicked. No fuckin' way. Nuh uh.” he whined petulantly.

Cas suppressed a laugh at Deans antics and pressed on. “It's the only way, if you punch him, Jess kicks your ass, then Sam feels guilty for that and the cycle continues. Just tell him what you told me. Once he understands, I can almost guarantee he'll back off.” he said with a smile.

Dean looked thoughtful. He sighed and ran his hand down his face. “Fine. But if he doesn't back off, I'm gonna punch him. Then when Jess kills me, _you_ have to avenge my death.” he said seriously, pointing at Cas.

Cas rolled his eyes at Deans dramatics. “I promise I'll avenge your death, Dean.” he said gravely, suppressing another laugh.

 

Dean had sunk even further down into the chair and his eyes were drooping slightly.

 

“How 'bout you read me a little bit of that book, Cas. I could probably do with a bit of boring too, y'know?” he said, beginning to slur slightly.

Cas smiled fondly at the tipsy Omega sprawled in the chair. “I'll try not to take offence at that.” he said dryly, and picking up his book.

“Not what I meant, dude. Now come on, lets find out about the riveting world of orgasmic farming techniques.” slurred Dean.

Cas huffed a laugh and opened the book at the beginning, he licked his lips and began “The principal methods of _organic_ farming incude...”

He read aloud, his deep voice taking on a soft cadence. The only other sounds were the occasional loud laugh from the kitchen or a log spitting and popping on the fire.

As he reached the end of the opening chapter, he looked up to see that Dean had fallen asleep, his hands tucked under his head on the arm of the chair and one foot pulled up underneath himself. He looked peaceful as he snored quietly next to the warmth of the fire.

 

Smiling, he returned to his book, reading only to himself now. He was absorbed in a chapter on crop rotation when he heard heavy footsteps in the doorway. He looked up to see Sam hunched over slightly under the weight of Garth, who for some reason was draped over Sam's shoulder, completely unconscious .

“Hey Cas.” said Sam, grinning as he saw Cas looking alarmed. “ Don't worry. This one can't hold his drink. Ellen literally drank him under the table.” he chuckled and then frowned as he noticed Dean in the chair.

“Oh, I thought Dean had gone to bed, has he been there long?” he dropped his voice to a whisper.

Cas shook his head, “No, he told me he felt bad that I was left out of the festivities. So he came to keep me company. He fell asleep a little while ago.” he whispered to Sam, who rolled his eyes.

“Oh, okay. Well, I just came to tell you that Jess will be in to give you some medicine in a moment. I'm just gonna put Garth to bed, then I'll come back for Dean. Okay?” He whispered, adjusting his stance as Garth stirred with a groan.

Cas nodded and smiled as Sam beamed and disappeared towards the stairs.

 

Dean twitched in his sleep and let out a tiny whine causing Cas to frown in concern as Dean's scent began to change, the cinnamon scent taking on a sour note of distress as he began to whimper.

“Dean. Wake up.” Cas called gently. “You're safe, it's just a dream.”

The scent doubled, becoming almost suffocating and Cas gagged and dropped his book to cover the lower half of his face and nose in the crook of his elbow.

Dean began to thrash and sob and the scent of distress was so thick, Castiel's eyes began to water.

 

Instincts making a decision for him, Cas threw back the blankets and grimaced in agony as he crawled out of the bed and onto the floor, the loose cotton pants he wore twisting around his legs and partially hindering his movement. Panting heavily, he crawled across the floor towards the chair holding Dean.

Reaching the chair, he pulled him self up onto his knees, he reached forward and took Deans hands.

“Dean, please wake up. You're safe, I promise” soothed Cas as Dean sobbed in his sleep, the scent was overpowering and Cas gagged again. “Dean, please.” begged Cas, half leaning on Dean as he reached up and ran his hand through the Omegas hair.

Starting awake, Dean looked terrified for a second and Cas rushed to sooth him. “It's me, Cas. You're having a nightmare. You're safe, I promise.” said Cas, as his watery eyes finally spilled over and he continued running his hand through Deans hair.

Breaking out into sobs, Dean looked broken. Cas acted on instinct again, pulling Dean from the chair onto the floor and into his arms. Cas tucked Deans face into his neck and stroked Deans back and neck whispering “You're safe” over and over again as Dean sobbed heavily and clung to Cas' torso.

 

The scent of distress must have finally filtered out to the rest of the house as several sets of hurried footsteps started coming from the direction of the kitchen towards the library.

Jess and Bobby burst through the open doorway first, closely followed by Ellen and Benny.

 

“What the hell is going on?” Bobby snarled.

 

Cas ignored his tone and merely continued soothing Dean, muttering “Nightmare.” gripping Deans shirt possessively, fixing Bobby with a glare and barely suppressing a growl.

“That musta bin some nightmare. You okay, Dean?” said Bobby, needing reassurance from Dean himself.

Dean took a shuddering breath and nodded into Cas' neck. Mumbling “Yeah. M'okay. Jus' gimme a minute.” he hadn't let up his grip around the Alphas torso and Cas winced in pain.

 

“Cas, I know your instincts are really hard to ignore, but you really shouldn't be out of bed.” said Jess gently. Dean gasped pulling back hurriedly and Cas gripped harder, trying to pull him back into his arms and growling louder.

 

“Whoa! Oh shit! Cas, I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you? I forgot. Holy shit.” he babbled as Jess and Bobby approached slowly, mindful of spooking an Alpha in protect mode. They watched as Cas struggled to tamp down his instincts for a second before releasing his grip slightly on Deans shirt and sagging heavily, his expression agonised. “Not. Your fault” he gasped as Dean looked mortified.

“It is my fault! What if you'd burst your stitches, Cas? Holy shit, you could have killed yourself! I'm so sorry.” Dean panicked.

“Dean, you have to calm down. The distress in your scent is sending all the Alphas into protect mode. It's okay, Cas is going to be okay. But I need you to try to stay calm for me, okay?” said Jess gently, as she looked worriedly at Cas, who had gone very pale.

Dean nodded and looked up at Bobby and then over his shoulder at Ellen and Benny who hovered in the doorway. “Can you guys give us a minute? You're freakin' me out even more by just standing there and staring.” he snapped and Cas growled again, reaching to pull Dean back towards himself.

Ellen nodded “Sure, sweetie. Lets go, Benny.” She had to push the big Alpha ahead of her as he reluctantly complied.

Bobby shook his head. “I better go give Sam a heads up, or he's gonna flip his shit when he walks down those stairs an' smells this. I'll be back in a coupla minutes.” he too left the room reluctantly.

Cas relaxed marginally but refused to let go of Dean, but nodded at Jess, giving her permission to approach.

Dean sagged back against the chair looking distraught as Jess inspected Cas' injuries.

 

“Is he okay?” he croaked out, his voice rough.

Jess looked up and smiled reassuringly. “Yes, he hasn't split his stitches, he'll be fine. He just overdid it a little. Once we get him back in bed and medicated, he'll be more comfortable.” she said gently. “Can you just support him while I re wrap this?” she asked Dean, who nodded and scooted closer. Jess arranged them so Cas was kneeling with his forehead on Deans shoulder and one arm around Deans neck, the other was hanging loosely at his side as Jess wound the bandages around his chest and over his shoulder. “Some Alphas are really susceptible to Omega distress, it sends their instincts loopy. Just stay close and he'll stay calm. I really need him calm right now.” said Jess quietly.

“I am calm.” growled Cas into Deans shoulder, gripping Deans shirt again.

Dean huffed and rolled his eyes. “Sure you are, grumpy. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I broke it, I fix it. Take as long as you need, Alpha.”

 

Sam cleared his throat in the doorway to announce his presence as Bobby stepped up behind him.

“Everything okay in here?” Sam sounded worried. Dean ignored him and looked at Jess to answer.

“It's fine now. I'll need your help to move Cas back into bed in a little while.” said Jess, without looking up.

“Sure, no problem. Bobby just wants to step in, is that okay?” said Sam nervously.

“It's fine now, Sam. He's not gonna Alpha out on us. I tripped his instincts when I had a nightmare and stunk up the joint with Omega distress.” sighed Dean tiredly.

“I got something that might help with that. It should bring the tension down a notch.” said Bobby, holding up a clear bottle of oil with some sort of flowers in it and an oil lantern.

Jess looked up and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Infused oil for the lantern? That is absolutely genius, Bobby.” she beamed as Bobby blushed a little.

“I'm just gonna swap 'em out. It'll take a couple of minutes before we start smellin' it.” said Bobby as he approached.

Dean smiled tightly and peered down at the Alpha currently clinging to him. “Hanging in there, Cas?” he said quietly.

Cas grunted as Jess pinned the bandage in place “I...yes. I'm sorry, I can't seem to make myself let go of you. This is really embarrassing.” he said hoarsely.

“Cas, it's beyond your control. Your instincts came to the surface for a few reasons. One, you are injured, your defences are down. Two, Dean was pumping out enough Omega distress to make us come running from the other end of the house, so it was overpowering in here. Three, it sent all the Alphas into protect mode, and created a feedback loop. We're just lucky that everyone was smart enough to back off or a brawl could have broken out. I'm actually more concerned about your blood pressure or you causing further injury to yourself at this point.” said Jess, gently.

Jess edged back slowly and Bobby lit the new oil lantern. handing the other one to Sam. “We're just gonna step outside the door for a few minutes. Give the lantern a chance to drown out the scent and Cas will calm right down.” said Bobby, stepping out into the hallway.

“Is that wise?” said Sam, looking concerned.

Dean rolled his eyes “Sam, he's not gonna hurt me, you dumbass. His instinct is to _protect_ me. The sooner he can override his instincts, the sooner he can get back in bed and off the floor. He doesn't want this, it's _hurting_ him, man.” he said, with an edge to his voice that made Cas start growling again.

With a pointed look from Jess, Sam caved. “Okay, but we're staying right outside the door.” he said, clearly not happy.

Jess hustled Sam out of the room and followed, pulling the door almost to a close behind her.

 

Cas still had his head buried in Deans neck as they both crouched on their knees on the floor. Dean leaned his his cheek against Cas' head and began stroking the Alphas hair.

“We gotta stop meetin' like this, dude. Never known an Alpha that was such a hugger. Well, except Garth.” he quipped, making Cas laugh and then grunt in pain.

“Sorry! I'm sorry. I shouldn't make you laugh. Sorry. I was trying to break the tension. I'm an idiot. I'll just.. be quiet.” said Dean, cringing.

“I understand, this is more awkward than when you held a bowl for me to pee into.” muttered Cas.

“Yeah, no. That one is still worse. You didn't flash your junk this time.” said Dean, chuckling at Cas' embarrassed groan.

“The last time I did this, it was because an Alpha from another clan insulted and slapped my cousin Hael.” muttered Cas.

“You're prone to it then? What did you do that time?” said Dean, still stroking Cas' hair.

“I kicked him off the side of a mountain.” said Cas, matter of factly.

Deans eyebrows almost met his hairline and the hand in Cas' hair stalled briefly before he resumed stroking.

“Fucking hell, Cas. You really don't fuck around, do you?” he laughed.

“I don't believe so, no. Even if I hadn't let my instincts take over, I probably would have killed him anyway. It was the same for me when I found you all in the compound. Omegas are precious. They give life. It's abhorrent to harm them.” said Cas, lifting his head and meeting Deans eyes.

Their faces were inches apart. Dean could see the dark blue of the Alphas eyes and the sincerity in them.

“That makes you one of the good guys, Cas.” said Dean huskily. A different sort of tension in the air now buzzed between them.

Cas breathed deep and smiled “Oh. I can smell jasmine. Bobby's idea worked.” he visibly relaxed and his arm slid from around Deans neck. He looked relieved as he finally managed to let go of Deans shirt. He sat back and met Deans eyes again. “I'm sorry for .. overreacting, I suppose. If I frightened you, I apologise.” he looked worried.

Dean tried not to think too hard on the fact he missed contact with the Alpha and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “We're good, Cas. You were protecting me, not hurting me. I guess you're still determined to be my rescuer, huh?” he said, weakly.

Cas huffed a laugh and groaned as a white hot shaft of pain rolled up his side.

“Yeah okay. I think it's time for bed for my white knight. You alright if I call the others back in?” he checked with Cas, who nodded gritting his teeth.

 

Jess hurried into the room as soon as Dean called, he found himself pushed aside as she finally got some medicine into her patient and between Jess and Sam they got Castiel back into bed where he promptly passed out.

Dean stayed quiet throughout. Sam kept giving him 'the look' but Dean ignored it. Once Cas was settled, Dean excused himself to bed, intent on avoiding everyone as long as possible.

Sam caught up to him outside his room, determined to talk.

“Sam, I'm tired. Can we do this tomorrow? I promise we'll talk then. I just want to get some sleep, we've had a long day.” he begged.

Sam looked annoyed, but gave in quickly.

“Okay, but I swear Dean, we are going to talk tomorrow. No more avoiding this.” he threatened before walking to his room.

 

Dean entered his room and threw himself on the bed fully clothed. He was asleep in minutes.

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Yes, another chapter! It's a short one, but I have another one ready to go for Friday! 
> 
> Teeny bit of angst and a much needed conversation between Sam and Dean.   
> Also, Cas is hiding something. 
> 
> Main story arc is revealed in the next chapter. I suppose 20 chapters in, it's about time really, although it's been hinted at throughout. I have some glorious twists and reveals coming up and maybe some new characters....
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are what keep this story going. Seriously, without encouragement I would have given up ages ago. This month marks a year since I started this story, thank you to all that have given your time to reading it. <3

**Chapter Nineteen.**

 

Dean threw the small hand shovel he had been digging with to one side and wiped his sweaty face with the bottom of his shirt. First thing this morning he'd got up and after drinking enough water to sink a battleship, he'd decided to work off his slight hangover. So, for the last few hours he'd been digging out a tree stump in order to clear the land that Bobby had earmarked for planting next year. The ground was still soft from yesterdays downpour and in places, completely waterlogged. Dean was caked in mud as he wasn't as dexterous with his left hand as he was his right, the cast making it impossible to do manual labour with his dominant hand. So far he'd made a mess and that was about it.

Dean scanned the horizon. The forest that surrounded Bobby's homestead covered hundreds of miles in every direction. As children, he and Sam had explored these woods with their father when they hunted for food. One day they had come across their old settlement, the blackened ruins of buildings that Dean no longer remembered were all that was left of the life they should have had. John had wandered around the ruins almost catatonic until he stopped in front of what had once been their home. There he had sat and wept with his children in his arms, before telling them happy stories of their mother and their lives. Bobby had joined in and for a little while, he and Sam had seen the Alphas as they had been before the tragedies that had forever tainted their scents with grief.

 

Taking a long drink from the flask of water he'd brought with him, he spotted Sam striding over towards him with a determined look on his face. Deans stomach knotted and the water he had just drunk threatened to come back up.

 

“Dean, did you think I would forget? That just because you've avoided me all day that I wouldn't find you?” said Sam angrily, coming to a stop and crossing his arms a few feet away from where Dean was standing.

“Gee, Sam. Hello to you too.” snarked Dean, picking up the hand shovel again and digging around a particularly stubborn root.

“I'm worried about you Dean, even before last night. You won't tell me what happened to you at that compound, it must have been bad for you to have a nightmare about it that stank out the whole house and almost caused an Alpha brawl! I want to help you, you're my brother and I love you. Let me!” Sam ranted angrily.

 

As Sam spoke, Dean could feel his own anger growing. He dropped the shovel again and whirled around and got up into his brothers face.

 

“Okay, Sam. You want me to talk? I'll talk. But you had damn well better listen, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once.” he jabbed his brother in the chest with a finger. “Drop the righteous act. I. Owe. You. Nothing.” he growled out.

Sam frowned “What? Dean, I don't understand. I just want to help you..” he started before Dean shouted over him.

“Sam! Are you gonna listen to me or not? You want me to talk? Then let me talk. I just want you to understand something first, I don't owe you an explanation of what happened at that compound. Stop acting like I do. You don't get to make demands.” he stepped back as Sam dropped his mouth open in shock and indignation.

“For the record, I wasn't dreaming about the compound last night. I was dreaming about the cabin, when Dad died. Only in my dream, you died too.” Dean growled angrily. “You keep acting like me being in that compound was the worst thing to ever happen to me. Let me tell you, it wasn't. Not knowing whether you made it or not was the worst. Now I'm out, and I have a home and I know my brother is safe and mated and happy, it makes every damn second in that compound worth it. So stop tip toeing around me and treating me like a victim to alleviate your misplaced guilt. You make me feel like I never got out. I want to move on and recover, and I can't do that if you keep throwing it in my face!” He turned away from Sam with tears in his eyes.

 

Sam looked stunned and ashamed at Dean's outburst. “Dean, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say.” he said quietly, his voice cracking with emotion. “I just wanted to help. I swear, I thought I was helping you.” he begged.

Dean sighed, the anger draining out of him. “I know. Cas explained it to me last night, when we talked before all the dramatics. Look, it wasn't your fault I got taken, Sammy. I left you behind on purpose, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The compound was a bad place, and the only thing that kept me going was the hope that you made it back here to Bobby's.” he turned to face Sam.

“We tried to find you, Dean. I swear. As time went on I felt worse and worse because I knew you were relying on me to rescue you. But it was like you had vanished. I wanted to find you, to save you like you saved me and I couldn't because I couldn't find you!” Sam was sobbing now. “You had to save yourself with the help of a stranger. Because I wasn't there!”

 

Dean pulled his brother into a hug and Sam wept openly as he clung to Dean desperately.

“Sam, it's not your fault. You have to know that. It's not. I'm home now. That's all that matters.”

Sam stood back wiping his eyes as Dean did the same. “Okay, I'll stop trying to make you talk about it. I guess you'll talk about it when you're ready.” said Sam quietly.

“Thank you. I just want you to be my brother again. I want you and Jess to have those moose babies you talked about. Maybe I'll find a mate, raise some babies of my own. I want to live without the shadow of that place hanging over me. Y'know? Like Cas said, I'm a survivor, not a victim.” said Dean, with a small smile.

“You talked to Cas about it?” said Sam, looking confused and Dean blushed.

“A little, because he doesn't push, and he gets it. Lost his parents before he even knew 'em and got labelled a 'poor little orphan' for the rest of his life. I just want to be me, not 'the Omega that got kidnapped'. It's kinda restricting.” said Dean, softly.

“I guess it's good you have him to talk to. He's a good guy, from what I've seen and heard. I think if he didn't have to leave we'd be friends.” said Sam, with a smile.

“Yeah, that kinda sucks that once he gets better he has to leave to go straight into fighting a war. He's loyal and dedicated, I'll give him that.” said Dean sadly.

“You sure you're not just sad that he has to leave at all?” said Sam, smirking knowingly.

Dean blushed. “Fuck off, bitch.” he growled as Sam laughed.

“Come on, Ellen's making lunch. Although, you should probably take a bath first. Where you that desperate to hide from me that you camouflaged yourself as part of the forest?” Sam joked.

“Ugh, I can't wait until my arm is better, tryin' to do stuff with my other hand fuckin' sucks. I've actually got mud in my ear, man.” laughed Dean. “Nearly fell in the toilet tryin' to wipe my ass.”

“Well, that was information I never needed to know. Thanks, jerk.” said Sam dryly.

“You're welcome.” smiled Dean as they headed back to the house together.

 

 

 

Castiel had slept all night and most of the morning. He awoke to baby Matthew poking him in the ear, his chubby little face just inches away as he stood unsteadily at the side of Castiels bed, gripping the sheets in a drool covered hand. He smiled and booped the boys nose with a finger, making him giggle loudly.

 

“Hello, little one. Did you escape from your mama? She'll be looking for you.” he said, his voice croaky.

 

Baby Matthew babbled nonsense as Cas pulled himself up into a sitting position.

“I completely agree with everything you just said.” Cas said dryly as he reached out to steady the wobbling toddler with a hand on his back.

Happy that he had a captive audience, Matthew babbled continuously as Cas drank some water, nodding along as if he understood every word. Looking suitably amazed when the child showed him the doll he had been given.

 

Matthew decided that Cas needed a closer look and attempted to climb onto the bed. Getting frustrated when he couldn't quite make it. So Cas lifted him and placed him next to himself against the pillows on the opposite side to his wound.

“So, little one. Shall we look at a book together? I think I have one with pictures that might pass for interesting for someone your age.” said Cas reaching for the pile of books next to his bed. Selecting one that classified the local flora and fauna. It looked to be handwritten and drawn.

They sat for a little while as Cas turned the pages stating the name of each plant and animal as Matthew babbled and pointed to the pictures, although he seemed to be more interested in actually turning the pages than what was actually on them, forcing Cas to occasionally lift the book away from sticky drool covered fingers.

 

Hearing footsteps in the doorway, Cas looked up to see Benny rolling his eyes and calling back towards the kitchen. “I found him, looks like he decided to keep Cas company.”

 

Amy came running in, looking sheepish and relieved. “I'm so sorry. I put him down for a nap on the couch and went to wash his diapers. I thought he was asleep. I'm really sorry if he bothered you.” she said nervously.

“He's fine. It's no problem.” Cas assured her. “We've been reading a book. Sort of.”

Matthew squealed and broke out into baby chatter as if he was giving his own version of events and Cas nodded along. “Oh yes, the book was interesting wasn't it? Of course I'll ask Bobby if he has any others.” he said seriously to the small child, who smiled , showing off his four teeth and batting the Alphas arm excitedly.

 

Cas looked up to see Benny and Amy smiling at his antics.

 

“I'll get him out of your hair and put him down for a nap, thanks for watching out for him, Castiel.” said Amy softly as she reached for her son, who held his arms up eagerly for his mother to take him.

“Like I said, it's not a problem.” said Cas, smiling.

“Say thank you and goodbye to Castiel, Matty.” she said to the little boy, who waved and blew kisses. Cas made Benny laugh when he blew a kiss back and waved as Amy carried the toddler out of the room.

 

“You're good with him.” said Benny, with a grin.

“I like children. And he is especially sweet.” said Cas, with a small smile.

“Yeah, he's a cutie alright.” Benny agreed “Feelin' up to food an' company, chief? I can provide both.”

“I am quite hungry.” said Cas, nodding. Benny grins and leaves the room, reappearing with two plates piled high with food.

“I got you a bit of everything. Jess said you probably won't eat all of it, so just eat the bits you like the most.” said Benny, placing the plate on the tray on the table, and then placing the tray on Castiels lap.

“Thank you, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to leave, it all looks good.” said Cas.

Benny nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, after eating camp fire specials for I don't know how long, a real home cooked meal is something to be savoured, huh?” he said, grinning widely.

“Absolutely.” agreed Cas, smiling around a mouthful of food.

Benny huffed a laugh “Y'know, Bobby was grumblin' about Ellen takin' over his kitchen an' orderin' him around in his own house. He shut up quick when she handed him a plate of food. Thought the old Alpha was gonna start cryin'. Now he's outside with a list she gave him of things she needs for the week. He threatened to fill my ass full of lead if I said a word. It's only 'cause I'm more scared of Ellen that I stopped laughin'.” he said, clearly amused.

Cas smiled. “The Harvelle women are not to be trifled with.” he said wisely.

“You got that right, chief. Joanna is cut from the same cloth as her mama. Did you see her back at the camp? Fought like a demon. Slit that Alphas throat like a pro.” said Benny, smiling wistfully.

 

Cas grimaced as he remembered more vividly than he wanted to, considering he was currently eating.

 

“Oh, sorry. I guess not having any home cooked meals for a while made me forget my manners.” said Benny sheepishly.

“Thank you, I would appreciate a change in subject.” said Cas, tightly.

Benny looked uncomfortable, and slightly hesitant. “I uh... I actually have something I wanted to talk to you about.” he said, quietly.

Cas' expression went guarded immediately. “Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this conversation?” he said carefully.

Benny let out a nervous laugh but sobered quickly as Cas glared at him coldly. “I probably made it sound worse than it is. It's not a bad thing. It's about the war you are gonna be fightin'.” he said nervously.

Cas arched a brow and tilted his head questioningly “What about it?” he said, staring the other Alpha down.

“I was.. I did a lot of bad. I figure if I do my part in taking down this Lucifer guy and getting rid of the people terrorisin' folks, it goes a long way to makin' things right. What I'm askin' is, that when you go, I want to go with you. Help you fight the bad guys.” said Benny, looking determined.

A strange look passed over Cas' face before his expression shut down and he looked down at the food on his plate.

“You can't.” he said quietly.

“Look, I know we don't get along, chief. But I think we can be grown ups and put it aside...” started Benny

“I SAID, NO!” shouted Cas, shocking Benny who stared open mouthed at the furious Alpha in the bed.

“When I said you can't come with me, I didn't say it to be petty. I actually have a lot of respect for the way you are trying to turn your life around. Which is why I have to decline your offer to come with me.” said Cas, coldly.

“That don't make a lot of sense, chief. I think you are gonna have to explain that one to me so that I understand it.” said Benny, looking annoyed.

“If you wish, but it will be a long conversation and not one I wish to have right now.” said Cas, the anger had drained out of him and he looked tired.

“Alright. We'll talk about it later. And we are gonna talk about it, there's somethin' you ain't tellin' us. I know I ain't in a position to judge, and you probably have your reasons, just like I did. So I'm backin' off for the time bein'.” said Benny, giving Cas a pointed look before picking up his plate and walking out of the room.

 

Cas dropped his head into his hands. Benny had brought several things to the surface that he hadn't wanted to think about. He had intended to leave the Omegas at Bobby's and head back to his clan immediately, hadn't intended on getting so involved. But now he was forced to stay and it felt like he had been lying the whole time to people he now considered friends. He knew the Omegas would take it hard. Especially Dean. They had formed a connection of sorts, they understood each other in ways other people didn't.

For one brief moment last night he had thought Dean was going to kiss him, their faces had only been inches apart. But Castiel had hesitated and the moment had passed. The problem wasn't that he wasn't attracted to Dean, because he most certainly was. It was that he felt the possibility of _more_ with Dean. Something he hadn't even considered until that moment, it had terrified him.

If they had met in other circumstances, Cas would consider asking the Omega if he could court him. But the facts complicated things. Once Cas laid everything out in the open, he would be lucky if Dean ever spoke to him again. He would be content with remaining Deans friend in that case.

He knew keeping silent wasn't an option any longer. He just had to hope they understood.

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Here we are at chapter 20. I've given up estimating the number of chapters to this thing, I originally estimated 30. Yeah, no. I'm barely a quarter of the way through. 
> 
> Cas makes his confession, it reveals a little of his backstory and the main story arc. 
> 
> Other things are also revealed that are much more positive in nature. Seriously, it's super cute. I really think you will love it.
> 
> Comments and kudos are manna from heaven and keep my ego from starving in the desert.

**Chapter Twenty.**

 

Several days had passed since Benny had talked to Castiel. The Alpha had been quiet and withdrawn since, not even smiling when Jess had happily declared that he was now free to wander the house as long as he was careful and didn't overdo things. Cas had never really been talkative, but the change was so obvious, the rest of the occupants of the house were on edge.

 

Dean had tried to talk to Cas and although the Alpha hadn't been unfriendly, he clearly hadn't wanted to talk either, so Dean had left him alone assuming the Alpha was embarrassed by what had occurred the night he'd had the nightmare. Dean figured if he allowed the Alpha some space, he'd eventually get over the embarrassment and their friendship would continue as it had.

 

Benny said nothing about their conversation. He knew from his own experience that Castiel was probably trying to find the right words in order to tell his story, whatever that was.

 

Jess was extremely concerned about her patient. He had begun to refuse medication and was pushing himself too far, too fast. When she found him dressed in his own clothes and lacing up his boots in order to go outside, she had given him such a stern lecture that the rest of the household had all decided they had somewhere else to be, and Bobby and Sam suddenly had more volunteers to finish Garth's cabin than they needed.

 

A week after the group had arrived at Bobby's, Dean was serving breakfast and the entire household were gathered, talking loudly over one another and passing plates of food back and forth, when the kitchen door opened slowly.

 

As one the group looked up to see Cas standing in the doorway, dressed in his own clothes and his pack on the floor next to him. He looked exhausted. He was in obvious pain.

 

“Uh, Goin' somewhere, Cas?” said Garth, looking puzzled.

“That depends. I need to talk to you all.” said Cas, gravely.

“Cas, you clearly aren't well enough to go anywhere. I meant what I said before, if you try to travel right now, it would probably kill you.” said Jess, getting out of her chair as if to wrestle him back to bed herself.

Cas held up a hand to stop her. “I have to tell you all something, there are some things I haven't told you, and I'm afraid... I'm afraid you will ask me to leave anyway once you know everything.” he said, looking at the ground. The silence was deafening.

Bobby sighed. “Well I guess you'd better spit it out, son. And take a seat fer cryin' out loud. You look like you're about to fall over.” he kicked a chair out towards him.

Cas entered the room, looking around and meeting Deans eyes briefly before looking away. He sat in the chair and took the tea that Bobby gave him gratefully, wrapping both hands around the mug, but not drinking it.

 

Everyone had settled into chairs or on the floor, their attention fully on the Alpha who looked uncomfortable.

 

“I just want to start by saying, I have not lied to any of you. My mission is to destroy Lucifer. My clan is the only one who has the numbers to take him down. What I have not told you, is that my clan is little better than Lucifers. Although they don't raid, my clan trades Omegas. I don't agree with it, my brother Gabriel didn't agree with it. I have been ostracised for my beliefs that matings should only be true. That Omegas are equals, not property. It is why I have not taken a mate. Gabriel left the clan years ago because he couldn't get them to change. I have also decided to leave the clan, but only after Lucifer is destroyed. Above everything, he is a very real threat to every clan within his reach and I need my clan in order to make sure that what happened to you, never happens to anyone else.” Cas refused to look up from staring at the table, no-one else said a word.

“I didn't tell you because I knew you would not trust me if you knew I came from a clan that trades Omegas. Especially after what you had been through. Please believe me, I intended to see you all home safely and then be on my way. I had no other agenda. Now that I...” his voice broke and he looked visibly upset. He took a breath and continued “You have all been so kind to me, I consider you all my friends. I felt that I would be betraying you if I kept this from you any longer.

He took a brief look around the room without meeting anyone's eyes. “There is one last thing. You should know that Lucifer is my half brother, he fled our clan after he killed my parents when Hannah and I were six weeks old. My clan Alpha, Michael, is his twin.”

He pushed the cup away from himself and crossed his arms. “If you decide that I cannot stay I will leave immediately.” his eyes were glassy and his voice cracked. “I'm sorry.”

 

Everyone looked completely stunned.

 

The first one to speak was Charlie. “Holy shit. That is a lot of information to process.”

 

Dean stood by the table looking murderous. “The fucking bastard responsible for all of this, Dad's death, the compound, everything, is your brother. Your fucking brother, and you didn't tell us?”

he said, his voice low and angry.

“I knew you would react badly to it. After what you had all been through, I thought it best not to say anything. As I said, my plan was to see you to safety and then leave. I didn't expect to stay or to.. become friends, with any of you. Up until I found you in the compound I was completely focused on my mission.” said Cas quietly.

“Yeah, a mission given to you by a fucked up clan Alpha who treats Omegas like property. Why the fuck would you be so loyal to a clan like that anyway, if like you say, you don't agree with it? Smells like bullshit to me.” sneered Dean, his eyes blazing angrily.

For the first time, Cas looked angry as well, he sat up straighter in his chair and glared at Dean who faltered a little under the scrutiny. “Because, my clan is not just the Alphas, Dean! I stayed this long to protect the Betas and Omegas as much as I could. I thought I could change it from the inside. I see now that I was wrong, the Alphas will never change because the current situation benefits them too much. I am not blind to the problems in my clan, Dean. But Lucifer is far, far worse. He is trying to get his hooks into my clan, if he manages a coup... my god. Between his clan and mine? The numbers alone, every other clan on this continent is at risk. If you think the raids are bad now, just wait until he gets organised.” he said coldly.

 

There were loud gasps as the implications sank in.

 

“So, you see why my mission is so important. If I have to work with my clan, even though it's repugnant to you, to save anyone from going through what you went through, I'll gladly do it, for the greater good. Lucifer may be my half brother, but I am not like him. Nor have I even met him. Don't forget, he killed my parents too.” he finished quietly, still staring at Dean.

 

The room was silent, aware that although Cas had been addressing the whole room, the words were meant solely for Dean.

 

Dean sobered, looking guilty. He dropped his eyes to the floor.

Charlie spoke up, her voice gentle. “Okay, I can kinda see why you wouldn't tell us, 'cause it was connected to your super secret mission and stuff. And, yeah. If you had come out and told us straight off, we would have hit you over the head with a rock and buried you up to the neck in the desert whilst we made our escape. I personally wouldn't have even looked back.”

 

Cas raised one eyebrow looking bemused as Jo sputtered a laugh.

 

Charlie continued, looking a little flustered “I mean, 'cause at first you were all like, “Rawr! Me big bad Alpha!” y'know all bamf and stuff. Little scary if I'm honest, but you saved us. Then you saved us again and got really hurt doing it. You didn't lie to us, you told us you wanted to see us to safety and you did that. Did you leave out some details? Yes, but I can totally see why.” she looked up and shrugged as Dean stared at her.

“Pretty important details, Charlie.” said Dean, still looking annoyed, but less angry than before.

“Not really, Dean. Cas didn't owe us anything. Didn't you say the same thing to me a few days ago?” said Sam pointedly. Dean glared at him.

“So, we're all just gonna forgive him? Ah, well. He _only_ kept it from us that he came from a clan of Omega slavers and that his brother is Lucifer. No big deal.” Dean snarked.

Jess spoke, her voice was gentle. “Dean, you are taking this too personally. It's not about you. If what Cas says is true, everyone is in danger. Saying anything before now was too risky.”

Bobby sighed. “Yeah, I can see that. I woulda waited too. If anybody found out you were alive and had that information, they'd have hunted you like a dog and no-one would have had a chance to stop him before it was too late. No-one's gonna kick you out, Cas. It's my house, an' I say you stay. I wanna know more about this guy and his operations. From what I saw in your reports, he's got a stockpile of weapons worthy of an army. If he had the numbers to use 'em? Yeah, that's bad news for everybody.”

 

Cas looked around at the understanding looks he was receiving with surprise and gratitude, but it was clear he was waiting for Deans approval over anyone else.

 

Dean sagged in defeat, the anger bled out of him and he looked sad. “Did he really kill your parents?” he said softly.

 

“Yes. Technically he killed my Omega mother, my Alpha father didn't survive the bond break. It's a little complicated, from what I can gather. Hannah and I have never gotten the full story. Michael refuses to talk about it.” said Cas sadly.

“Oh, so your parents were a true mating? Not everyone in the clan trades Omegas?” said Sam, frowning.

“Not everyone, no. Up until my brother Michael became the clan Alpha, no-one did. It's why my brother Gabriel left, he argued against it for years, until one day he just couldn't take it anymore and told us he was leaving. I was angry at him for giving up and abandoning us for a long time, but I understand how he felt now. I won't remain in the clan after the war. I'll take Hannah with me, once I find somewhere to go. Maybe we'll even go looking for Gabriel.”said Cas, softly.

Charlie stepped up and hugged him from behind, resting her chin on the top of his head, Cas took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Maybe you could come back here, I'm sure Bobby will help you find your brother through his network. Right, Bobby?” she said looking at Bobby pleadingly.

Bobby rolled his eyes “Will I? Guess I should really, seein' as it'd be returnin' a favour.”

Charlie squealed and Cas smiled for the first time in days.

“Thank you, Bobby.” said Cas, looking exhausted.

Jess intervened before there were anymore questions. “Cas? I think you should lie down. I bet you haven't slept all night. You aren't looking so good right now.” she said, standing up.

“Three days.” mumbled Cas, slumping in his seat and not meeting her eyes.

Jess looked stern. “You haven't slept in three days? Okay, that's it. Bed. Now.” she motioned Sam to help her and Charlie stood back, allowing them to stand either side of Cas, helping him out of the chair and across the house to the library.

 

Dean followed behind, standing in the doorway as Jess and Sam put Cas to bed. Jess arched an eyebrow at Dean questioningly as Sam gave Cas a small dose of poppy syrup.

“I just want to ask him something, real quick.” said Dean.

Jess pulled the cover over Cas and walked over to where Dean was standing. “Dean, he's still very sick. If you upset him, I'm going to be very angry with you. I get you were butthurt that he didn't tell you, but he's explained his reasons. The rest of us think they are valid reasons. I'm not going to let you talk to him if all you are going to do is berate him.” she said, with an edge to her voice.

“What? No, of course not. I get it, okay? I'm over it. I swear, I'm not gonna upset him.” said Dean, frowning.

Jess looked at him suspiciously, before nodding. “Okay, but keep it brief. He's exhausted. Sam and I will be in the kitchen if you need us.” Sam shrugged and followed his mate as she swept out of the room towards the kitchen.

 

Cas was laying on his side hugging one of the pillows to his chest. He blinked sleepily and frowned, looking cautious as Dean knelt down next to the bed.

 

“Hey, Cas.” said Dean, quietly.

“Are you still angry with me? Dean, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to...” Cas started and Dean shook his head and interrupted.

“No, no. I'm not mad anymore. Like I said, I get it. Jess was right, I kind of made it about me, and it's really not. There is a bigger picture. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry I made you feel bad about it.” he sighed. “This is why you've been quiet this week, huh? You were tryin' to figure out how to tell us. You made yourself sick worrying about it.” Cas nodded and Dean huffed a laugh. “See, I thought it was because you were embarrassed about your instincts going nuts so you were avoiding me. I guess I made that about me too, huh? Man, I really think a lot of myself, don't I?” he said bitterly, looking down.

Cas lifted his head from the pillow and frowned. He reached out and lifted Deans chin gently to look in his eyes. “No, you don't. But you should, because I happen to think you are wonderful.” he said, blushing shyly.

Dean gasped and blushed scarlet. “Cas! You...you can't say shit like that. Especially when it's not true. I'm not like you. I'm not...” he stammered out and it was Cas' turn to interrupt.

“Of course it's true. You credit me with saving you, but you were right there with me, saving yourself. You didn't passively stand by, you fought as hard as I did. Even after everything you had been through, you didn't give up. You care, about everyone. You didn't even hesitate to help the others find a home. You, are nothing less than wonderful.” he said earnestly.

 

There was silence as they stared at each other before Dean laughed nervously. “You smooth fucker.” he grinned, blushing and making Cas chuckle as the Omega side eyed him and sat back.

“Eh, I have my moments.” said Cas, shrugging and then settling back into the pillows with a yawn.

“Okay, You really should sleep now. I'll check in on you later, okay?” said Dean, lifting himself off the floor.

“Yes, I can hardly keep my eyes open right now.” said Cas, drowsily snuggling further into the blankets and hugging the pillow to himself, his eyes closing.

 

Dean smiled and made his way to the door, he paused in the doorway and looked back at the Alpha on the bed.

“Cas?” he said quietly.

“Uh huh?” murmured the Alpha, his eyes still closed.

“I think you're pretty wonderful too.” said Dean, before dashing out the door, his face on fire.

 

Cas huffed a laugh and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I thought I'd post a day early as there isn't an episode this week. I have a feeling you might like this one....
> 
> Enjoy the fluff while it lasts, because there are some heavy chapters to come as the main storyline picks up.   
> There will be new characters and a few surprises in store. *rubs hands together gleefully*
> 
> I'm not sure what my posting schedule will be like over Xmas, I'll try to get something out before then.

**Chapter Twenty-One.**

 

Cas woke to a loud engine revving just outside his window, he yawned, stretched and tried to resist scratching at his wound over his bandages. It was itching like crazy. Running a hand through his hair, he swung his legs out of the bed and stood up, he stretched again, arms above his head, back arched and up on his tip toes until his back made a satisfying 'pop'.

Sniffing himself, he made a face, washing with a cloth and basin of water only worked for so long. He hoped Jess would allow him to take a bath today, he was desperate for a shave too, his beard was thick and itchy. The thought of a hot bath and soap made him groan out loud.

He sorted through the clothes in his pack, Ellen had been kind enough to wash his clothes and re-pack them when they had first gotten to Bobby's. He made a mental note to thank her, some of those clothes had been disgusting, stiff with sweat and dirt. The woman had worked miracles and they had even been mended, the split seams sewn and the holes patched.

He chose his favourite shirt, a long sleeved loose cotton shirt that Hannah had made him a few years ago. It was soft with age and faded and had several repairs, but he loved it. Picking it up with the rest of his clothes as well as his wash bag, he made his way to the kitchen.

 

Ellen and Amy were sitting at the table, peeling potatoes that were being put into a large pan of water. Matthew was on the floor with Garth, who had some sort of puppet on his hand that Matthew was fascinated with. The puppet was the creepiest thing Cas had ever seen. The dog snored and drooled in his usual spot near the warmth of the stove.

“Well, hey! Y'all lookin' better than yesterday, amigo” said Garth, beaming at Cas from the floor.

“Thank you, I actually feel a lot bett-Wait, yesterday?” said Cas, confused.

“You slept a whole day, hon. Had us worried for a bit, but Jess managed to get some water in you and you went right back to sleep. I'm guessin' you don't remember that?” said Ellen, standing and putting the kettle on the stove to make tea.

 

“No. I..No.” said Cas, the last thing he did remember was his conversation with Dean and he blushed and smiled at the memory.

 

Ellen laughed “Well now, what's got you blushin' this time? Would it be a certain young fella who ran outta your room yesterday with the same blush and hasn't stopped smilin' since?” she teased.

Cas attempted a blank expression. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” he denied, even as his stomach erupted in butterflies at the thought of Dean smiling because of him.

Ellen chuckled and side-eyed him jokingly. “Sure, hon. I believe you.” in a tone that stated that she did not, in fact believe him.

Cas avoided her eyes and cleared his throat. “Um, I was hoping for some food and then maybe...a bath?” he said hopefully.

Ellen smiled, and gestured to a chair. “Well now, food I can do. You'll have to ask Jess about the bath. Take a seat and I'll give you something to eat and Garth will go fetch Jess so you can ask her yourself.” she said, looking over at Garth, who nodded and picked up Matthew.

“Sure, me an' the munchkin here will go find auntie Jess, won't we little fella.” said Garth, via the puppet. “That alright with you, Amy?” he said as Matthew giggled.

“That's fine.” said Amy, smiling softly.

 

Garth strolled out of the kitchen with Matthew on his hip, making the child squeal with laughter as he bounced him around.

 

Ellen handed Cas a cup of tea and patted his shoulder affectionately, gently pushing him into a chair.

“I'm not sure who is the bigger kid out of those two.” she said to Amy, who smiled shyly.

“Garth is kinda sweet with him. Matty loves the puppet, I have no idea why, that thing is terrifying.” said Amy, with a shudder.

Ellen and Cas nodded sagely with shudders of their own. “If Matty didn't love it so much, I'd arrange for that thing to have an “accident” in the fireplace.” said Ellen, placing a plate of food in front of Cas, who smiled gratefully.

“Thank you, Ellen. I wanted to thank you for washing and mending my clothes. You didn't have to do that.” said Cas, taking a mouthful of the delicious food in front of him.

Ellen shrugged and sat down opposite him with a cup of tea for her and Amy. “Who else was gonna do it? It wasn't a big deal, hon.” she said, dismissively.

 

A commotion at the front door had them all swivelling in their chairs to take a look as Jess, Bobby Sam and Dean came in, talking over one another as they took off their boots and coats. The dog barely stirred, lifting his tail in a half-hearted wag as a greeting before resuming his nap.

Ellen jumped up, placing the kettle on the stove again and making tea for everyone. Amy excused herself to go and find where Garth had got to with her son.

Cas smiled at the chorus of greetings he received as everyone settled around the table, they all seemed excited about something, although Dean seemed a little subdued, he looked at Cas shyly as he took a seat opposite.

 

Jess spoke first “ You're looking a whole lot better. Garth tells me that you want a bath? That's fine, just don't get your wound too wet. I'll be able to take the stitches out in a couple of days. I have some ointment for you, it's probably itchy right now and driving you crazy.”

Cas nodded gratefully, taking a sip of his tea. “It is, I'll take it gladly.” he stared at Dean who blushed and smiled shyly.

Bobby cleared his throat, getting Cas' attention. “Before we even knew about you or your mission, we had a plan of our own to form a militia. Like, an alliance with other clans to protect ourselves from raiders. I figure the more we know, the better prepared we'll be. I ain't sayin' that your plan ain't gonna work, I'm just a real big believer in havin' a plan B.” he said, gruffly.

Cas nodded. “You want to look at the rest of my reports. Correct?” he said questioningly.

 

Bobby nodded slowly. “Maybe make some copies too, just to be on the safe side. Like you said, it ain't just your clan at risk. Anythin' goes wrong on your end, we all end up in the crapper.” he said, solemnly

Cas looked grim and nodded. “You're right. Having a plan B is probably wise. I only ask that for now, the information stays between us. I hope you never need to use it.”

Bobby nodded sagely. “Me too, son. Once spring heats are over, I got people arrivin' from all over. This is gonna be the headquarters of the militia and the hub of the network. Even once you take Lucifer down, there will always be others. It's best if we have something in place to deal with it as it comes. It should've been done a long time ago. If Dean hadn't had the original idea, it wouldn't be happenin' now.” said Bobby proudly.

Dean looked shocked and embarrassed as everyone in the room looked at him with pride.

“What? Don't give me the credit, old man. This was your idea.” said Dean, pointing at Bobby.

Sam laughed and slapped Dean on the back. “I told you, Bobby took your idea and ran with it. This place is going to be a full settlement. There's gonna be a school and a clinic and everything!” he said excitedly.

Dean rolled his eyes at his brother. “Ugh, trust you to be excited about a school, you nerd.” he joked.

 

Cas cleared his throat awkwardly. “And you are sure that Hannah and I would be welcome in this new settlement?” he said carefully.

 

It was Bobby's turn to roll his eyes. “I said so, didn't I? We'll find somethin' for you to do. What was you did in your clan anyway?” he said gruffly.

Cas breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “I was in charge of keeping the clan supplied with food and medicines. Basically all of the farming and trading. As an Alpha I was also expected to serve as protection for the clan. We were trained to fight from when we were children.” he said blandly.

Bobby looked thoughtful. “All the farming and trading, huh? You any good at it?” he said his eyes narrowing.

Cas smiled. “I'd say so. It's difficult to grow much that far into the mountains, and before I took over we struggled. I introduced the idea of greenhouses and made some other necessary changes, and within two years we were stable. Within four years we had a surplus and a better position to trade from. Last year I renegotiated our trade agreements with the plains clans and we came out of it very well off.” he looked a little smug.

 

Bobby looked impressed. “Well then, you're hired. Congratulations.” he said dryly, making everyone chuckle.

 

Cas looked excited. “I have so many ideas I want to try. How do you feel about beehives? It wasn't something that would work in the mountains, it's too cold up there for bees. But here? It would be perfect. I can probably name fifty different ways having them would benefit the settlement. Also, I have an idea for an irrigation system that would double the output of your chosen crops, we'd only need half the space to grow the same amount. Oh, and just think what I could do with greenhouses here.” he said, almost squirming in his seat.

Dean chuckled. “Uh oh. Looks like you've created a monster, Bobby.” he said smiling fondly.

Bobby huffed a laugh and smiled at Cas, who looked a little embarrassed at his excited outburst.

“I tell you what, we'll sit down at some point and go over everythin', 'cause that all sounds pretty good. Maybe we can make a start on some of your ideas before you get back here for good.” said Bobby clapping Cas on the shoulder.

Cas positively glowed and the scent of happy Alpha permeated the room.

 

Ellen laughed from where she leant against the back of Bobby's chair. “That's a good look on you, hon. Now, you finish up your food and I'll get some water going for a bath.” she said, bossily.

Dean sat forward “Hey, Cas? If you're up to it, I got a surprise for you later.” he said shyly.

Sam snorted a laugh that was cut off when Jess elbowed him.

Dean gave him a filthy look “Shut up, bitch!” he said, punching Sam on the arm.

“Ow! C'mon, that was too easy and you know it. You would have thought less of me if I hadn't reacted.” said Sam rubbing his arm and laughing at Deans glare. He sobered a little as he looked at Cas, who was blushing slightly but seemed to be very interested in his food for some reason.

Bobby rolled his eyes and stood “Well, I got shit to do. Garth's cabin is done. I gotta make a start on the rest of my never endin' list, an' listenin' to you two idjits bicker, is not on it.” he said gruffly.

He left the kitchen to a chorus of goodbyes and Jess stood up next. “I've got a lot to do too. I'll see everyone later.” she leaned down and kissed Sam and petted his hair affectionately, before waving and leaving.

The group bantered back and forth a little as Ellen prepared a bath for Cas in the laundry room.

Once it was ready, Cas excused himself and left the table, scooping up his clothes and wash bag as he went.

 

He returned an hour later, face shaved and shirtless, with a handful of wet bandages and a sheepish look on his face.

Ellen wolf whistled and Sam groaned. Dean pretended he wasn't looking.

“Oh, man. Jess is gonna kill you. You weren't supposed to get your wound too wet. I'd better go get her so she can take a look.” said Sam, shaking his head as if severely disappointed in the Alpha and went off to find Jess.

“I had ..uh ..a little trouble getting out of the bath.” said Cas, shrugging his shoulders.

Deans head shot up at that and even Ellen stepped forward.

“Did you hurt yourself? You okay?” said Dean, looking Cas over as if searching for injuries.

“I'm fine. I just splashed my bandages, that's all.”he said to Dean and then looked at Ellen guiltily “I may have also spilled quite a lot of water. Sorry about that.”

Ellen rolled her eyes and laughed “Cas, it's the laundry room. A bit of water on the floor goes with the territory”

Cas chuckled. “I know, but still, I felt it only fair to warn you. I tried to clean it up myself, but I made it worse.” he said quietly.

“Aww it's okay, hon. It's no big deal.” said Ellen, stepping behind him to push him towards a chair “Take a seat here with Dean while you wait for Jess. I'll get right on with cleanin' it up.” she said winking at Dean over Cas' shoulder.

 

Dean frowned in confusion and Ellen indicated Cas' body and fanned herself before mouthing 'go for it' and winking again.

 

Dean blushed scarlet and Ellen dashed out of the room laughing as soon as Cas turned around looking confused.

“Did I miss something?” said Cas, taking a seat.

Still blushing, Dean cleared his throat. “I got no clue, dude. She's bein' weird.” he lied.

 

Cas narrowed his eyes suspiciously and Dean avoided his gaze. The room fell into awkward silence.

 

Shifting uncomfortably, Cas spoke first. “So, you said earlier that there was a surprise?” he said hesitantly.

Deans face lit up “Oh, yeah. Once Jess patches you up, I'll take you out and show you. There's like, two parts to the surprise. I think you're gonna love it.” he said, grinning excitedly.

Cas couldn't help but smile as well. “I'm guessing I will. If you are this excited about it, it must be good. I'll admit to being more than a little curious. ”

Cas shifted and Dean got his first real look at the wound on his side. It was smaller than he expected, the stitches small and neat. Eventually, the scar would be barely noticeable.

 

Cas cleared his throat and Dean looked up to see Cas looking bemused.

 

Dean flushed and shifted with embarrassment. “Sorry, I was looking at your scar. It's not all that bad, considering.” he said, looking away.

Cas lifted his arm and twisted slightly to look down at the scar. “No, not bad at all. I would say I've had worse, but that wouldn't really be true.” he said, dropping his arm and shrugging.

“There's not much that _is_ worse and survivable, Cas.” said Jess from the doorway, making both Cas and Dean jump. “As it is, this is going to affect the rest of your life. You have to be super careful about infection now. A rusty nail could kill you.” her face was serious as she dropped a bag on the table and sat down.

Dean looked panicked. “What! How the fuck are you gonna go off and fight in a war, dude?” he said, his voice slightly high pitched with anxiety.

Cas sighed. “Um, I guess I won't be on the front lines. But they'll need me, I'm the only one who has seen Lucifers clan in person. It really depends on Michael, if I'm honest. But he'll see that I'm not really fit for battle, he might be an asshole, but he's not stupid.” he said, raising his arm so Jess could look at the wound.

 

Jess inspected the wound, Cas winced as she prodded a particularly sensitive area.

“This is excellent. No signs of infection, the skin is knitting together wonderfully and the stitches can come out in a couple of days.” she said, reaching into the bag on the table.

“You are very good at what you do.” said Cas, smiling.

Jess smiled “Yes I am. But it helps that you are otherwise strong and healthy. You would have most certainly died otherwise.” she said, pulling out a pot of strange smelling ointment.

She applied it and Cas felt tension release that he didn't even realise he was holding as the itching died immediately. He groaned and Jess laughed and began winding the bandages around his shoulder and torso.

“I bet that feels better, huh?” she grinned and Cas nodded. “Yes. Thank you, you have no idea.” he said gratefully.

She finished bandaging and patted him on the shoulder. “There, all done.” she said, standing up and pointing at Dean. “Okay, I know you have the surprise for him today, but don't let him overdo it. He doesn't need poppy syrup anymore, but no matter what he says, he's still in pain and he still needs rest. So just take it easy.” she said sternly.

Dean nodded, his face sincere and Cas frowned and looked at Jess “So, you know what the surprise is?” he said questioningly and Jess grinned.

“We all do. We all helped too, it was Dean's idea though. If you want my opinion, I think you'll love it.” she said winking and picking up the bag from the table. “Have fu-unn!” she sing-songed and abruptly left the room.

 

Cas reached for his shirt and pulled it on, doing up the buttons slowly. He looked up to see Dean standing next to him holding a thick, canvas jacket and a scarf.

“Here, your jacket was kind of ruined with all the blood and stuff. This is...um.. mine, so it should fit you.” he said, with a small smile.

Cas grinned, taking the jacket and slipping it on before reaching for the scarf. He wound it around his neck messily, eager to see the surprise Dean had planned for him.

Dean rolled his eyes and began straightening the scarf with a sigh. “Dude, Jess will kill me if you aren't wrapped up properly.” he muttered.

Cas stood still, allowing Dean to wind the scarf properly and even button the jacket. “Don't worry, I promised you I'd avenge your death. I keep my promises.” he said, dryly.

Dean paused halfway through buttoning the jacket looked confused, then something clicked and he burst out laughing. “Well, shit. So you did. Man, I was a mess that night. I guess I'm a bit of a drama queen when I'm drunk, huh?” he grinned, trying to cover up the slight blush on his cheeks.

Cas arched a brow “Just when you're drunk?” he questioned, his eyes twinkling.

Dean did up the last button and pointed at Cas with his eyes narrowed. “Okay, rude.” his mouth twitched as he fought not to smile.

Cas laughed and Dean chuckled as he playfully shoved the Alpha towards the door. “C'mon, daylights burnin'. You are gonna love this, man.” said Dean excitedly.

 

Deans enthusiasm was contagious and Cas found himself grinning with excitement as they stepped out of the house onto the porch.

 

Dean ran ahead and stopped in front of the truck they had stolen from Alistair's compound. It looked cleaner and in better condition than it had been. Dean turned to face Cas and held up a key on a ring.

“She's all yours, dude.” he said, throwing the key to a dumbfounded Cas.

“What? But I can't even drive.” said Cas, looking confused.

Dean laughed “Well, that's the second part of the surprise, I'm going to teach you.”

Cas' smile lit up his whole face. “This is the best surprise I've ever gotten. Thank you. But why?”

Dean shifted from foot to foot looking down. “Well, we figured you'd want to get there quick. It'll make it easier for you to ..uh..come back too. What with you bringin' Hannah and all your stuff. I left the radio in there so you can still call us and let us know how you're doin'.” he stuck a toe in the dirt “Y'know, if you want to, 'cause we'd worry about you otherwise. He said, avoiding Cas' eyes.

Cas suddenly stepped forward and pulled the surprised Omega into a hug, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing tight. It took a second, but Dean began to hug him back, squeezing him just as fiercely.

They broke apart, both flushed, Cas held Deans hand in his own. “Thank you, Dean. No-one has _ever_ done something like this for me before. I was right, you are wonderful.” he said sincerely.

Dean whined with embarrassment and Cas chuckled and looked at the truck.

“So, you are going to have to show me how everything works. I have no idea where to start.” he said, sounding excited.

Dean lit up and pulled away to open the truck door, indicating for Cas to get in. “Okay, lesson number one. Don't touch anything until I've explained what it does. Okay?” Cas nodded and climbed into the truck and slid over to the drivers seat, taking great care not to touch even the steering wheel. Dean bit back a laugh at the serious look on Cas' face and climbed in beside him.

 

After half an hour of patient explanation of everything in the cab, Cas started the truck and with Deans encouragement drove a slow loop around the property. Dean was amazed at how quickly Cas got it. He was a little too heavy on the brakes and had the steering wheel in a death grip, but he learned fast. On the second loop he began correcting his own mistakes and Dean relaxed a little. On the third Dean encouraged him to go a little faster, but Cas had refused. Stating that he didn't feel confident enough yet. Before the fourth loop, Dean told Cas to take the turning off the homestead and onto the road. With nothing in sight, Cas relaxed a little and finally Dean coaxed a little speed out of him. They only went a few miles before Dean noticed Cas tiring. Remembering Jess' warning he talked Cas through a u-turn and they headed back.

 

By the time they parked the truck outside of the barn, Cas looked exhausted but elated. “That was the most fun I've ever had.” he stated, with a huge grin.

Dean laughed “I can see, dude. That smile of yours is a dead giveaway. Let me tell you, you're a natural. A few more lessons and you'll be nearly as good as me.” he said with obvious pride in his voice.

Cas scoffed “ That can't be true. You're just saying that.” he said with clear disbelief on his face.

Dean laughed “Cas, trust me. You did real good. I nearly forgot I was supposed to be teaching you on the way back, felt like you'd been driving for years.” he said smiling.

Cas smiled back. “Can we do this again tomorrow?” he asked hesitantly.

Dean pretended to think about it before smiling and nodding. “Sure, If we start after breakfast we can drive out a little ways, not too far, maybe take some lunch with us and make a day of it. I can always take over if you get too tired. Does that sound like something you'd like?” he said, looking hopefully at the Alpha

Cas looked surprised and then smiled “ I.. I would like that very much, Dean.” he said shyly.

Dean winked and moved to open the truck door, he was stopped by a hand on his arm.

 

“Dean.” said Cas quietly, he looked nervous and suddenly Dean was too.

 

“Yeah, Cas?” said Dean, his voice husky.

 

Cas shifted and rubbed his neck in a nervous gesture. “I like you. I hope I'm not mistaken in thinking you like me too.” he paused and Deans mouth went dry and his eyes went wide. His throat bobbed as he swallowed nervously.

Cas was blushing hard as he looked at Dean in the face. “I would like your permission to formally court you with the intent to mate.” he blurted looking away. “I'll understand if you say no. It's a lot to ask, especially when I have to leave for a while, I'm sorry if this makes you feel awkward, and I'd hate to lose your friendship over it, I value that above everything else” he rambled. Dean grabbed his hand and shushed him gently.

 

Cas looked at him with hope in his wide blue eyes and Dean smiled and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on the Alphas mouth.

 

Cas froze in shock against Deans lips. He pulled back and narrowed his eyes “Is that a yes?” he queried tilting his head to one side and Dean giggled.

“Of course it's a yes, you dork.” he rolled his eyes but smiled as Cas cradled his face reverently.

“Then, may I kiss you again?” he said, quietly.

“If you don't, then I'm definitely gonna kiss _you_.” said Dean, smiling.

 

Cas leaned back in and Dean met him eagerly. The kiss began chaste but very quickly became _more_ as the Alpha wrapped an arm around Deans waist and pulled him closer, almost into his lap, deepening the kiss as he did so.

It was slow and sweet and just the right side of dirty. Deans stomach curled with warmth as he realised the truck smelled of arousal from both of them, even though their hands stayed decidedly above the waist.

As the kiss broke Dean opened his eyes and faltered as he realised his hands had found their way into the Alphas hair on their own. He hurriedly moved them to Cas' shoulders.

 

“If I'd have known you kissed like that, I'd have done it ages ago. You have been holding out on me.” said Dean, looking a little put out at not knowing this essential information.

Cas huffed an embarrassed laugh. “You're not so bad yourself. I'd go so far as to say that was the best kiss I've ever had.” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Dean tried very hard not to preen at that, and failed entirely. “I'm pretty sure that goes for me too.” he chuckled.

Cas raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Only pretty sure? Hmmm. I must be a little out of practice.” he said with a fake pout.

Dean leaned in and dropped a soft kiss on Cas' mouth before sitting back. “Okay, so it was totally the best kiss ever. I just don't want you to get too smug about it.” he said primly.

Cas chuckled. “Never.” he said taking Deans hand, and kissing his knuckles.

 

Dean looked at the house and then back at Cas with an odd look on his face.

 

“What's wrong?” said Cas, looking concerned.

Dean grimaced. “I just realised they would have heard the truck pull up but we haven't gone in yet. We might've had an audience, dude.” he groaned and covered his face.

Cas' eyes went wide. “Well, we have to go in there at some point, Dean.” he said trying not to laugh.

Dean whined. “You don't get it, Cas. They've all been teasing me about my little crush on you. If they saw us, they're gonna be unbearable.” he folded his arms crossly.

Cas' face lit up. “You've had a crush on me?” he said, beaming.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Well, duh. You dork.” said Dean, with a laugh. “Or did the kiss not give that away?”

Cas shrugged. “I hoped you were attracted to me. A crush is something else entirely. I didn't realise it was as serious as that.” he said shyly.

Dean groaned again as he realised just how much he had revealed. “Oh my god.” he curled up, covering his burning face with his hands. “If you'll excuse me, I've reached my limit on humiliation today, so I'll just go ahead and die now.”

 

Cas chuckled and pulled Dean towards himself, uncovering Deans face at the same time.

 

“Don't be embarrassed, Dean. If I told you that I've had a crush on you too, would that make you feel better?” he said, softly, hugging the Omega into his side, Deans head resting on his shoulder.

“Not if you don't mean it. Otherwise that's just cruel.” said Dean, pouting as he looked up at the Alpha.

Cas sighed and looked down into Deans face. “Well, of course I mean it. I told you, you're wonderful.” he smiled softly as Dean's face broke into a grin.

“I suppose we'd better go inside and face the music.” said Dean, with sigh.

“I think we can afford to sit here just a little longer” said Cas, squeezing Dean a little tighter.

Dean smiled and snuggled a little deeper into Cas. “I _really_ like the way you think, dude.” he said happily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *big cheesy grin* SURPRISE DESTIEL KISS! 
> 
> You. Are. Welcome.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry to have left this for so long! I do have a real reason for it, I dislocated my shoulder (several times, it's a thing now) and I managed to damage the nerve severely, making my arm and hand virtually unusable. It's my dominant hand, so you can probably imagine, it's been a little rough for me. I've been put on meds to combat the nerve pain and the numbness, and it helps, but leaves me a little dopey. I may need surgery, but I hope not. 
> 
> It has come to my attention that someone has stolen this story and is posting it on Wattpad under the user name of Shaygirl1D, as their own work. Don't do that, it's a shitty thing to do. I've reported it.  
> I have only posted this story here, if anyone spots it elsewhere, I would appreciate a heads up.   
> Also, please don't copy this story or post it elsewhere. I know I don't own the characters, but the story and the world it's set in, is all mine. 
> 
> Last chapter of fluff, next chapter things start getting serious, with some new characters and surprises in store.

**Chapter Twenty Two.**

 

Two weeks after Castiel's first driving lesson, he was now driving like a pro. Dean had even shown him how to make minor repairs and perform maintenance on the truck. Between them, the truck was now in pretty good shape. The interior had been stripped out and replaced before handing the keys to Cas, Dean had insisted he could still smell the dead bandit no matter how well he and Sam had cleaned the truck prior to the journey back to Bobby's. Now it was kitted out with under-seat storage, a new all weather cover for the back and a tow-bar. Dean had stripped down the engine and inspected every part, cleaning or replacing anything that wasn't up to his exacting standards. Bobby had installed several false panels to hide weapons, ammo or even spare fuel. The tires were replaced and were the type guaranteed not to go flat, even on the roughest road.

Cas and Dean had also used this time to get to know each other. They took long drives, stopping for lunch and sharing kisses and light touches. So far, they had not progressed further in their physical exploration of each other, both unwilling to jump in too fast. They both had recoveries to make before the next step could take place. They talked about the coming war and Bobby's plan for a settlement. They talked about their respective childhoods and any regrets they had.

Talking about the future was difficult, they were only too aware that with things as they were, making any plans or promises were impossible. Instead they discussed hopes and dreams in vague terms. Although Dean had quietly confessed that he had already picked a place to build his own home and also had a rough idea of the design. When he had gotten carried away describing exactly how he imagined the sun striking the back deck on a summer evening, he'd looked up to see the softest look on Castiels face and had blushed and refused to talk about it again, no matter how much Cas had encouraged him to continue.

 

Cas had made great strides in his recovery. Jess had encouraged gentle exercise, and Cas had begun with some light training. Dean had very nearly choked when he walked out onto the porch to see the rest of the Omegas watching Cas do a series of yoga poses in nothing but a pair of linen pants. Sam had expressed an interest and so had Charlie and Jo. The next day saw all of them on Bobby's lawn doing a series of stretches that made Dean's eyes water just to look at them.

Benny also took an interest when Cas began to incorporate some sort of martial art into his exercise, Jess had forbidden any sparring for the time being, so Cas performed a few Katas and battle drills by himself until Dean too found himself following the movements. Before long, everyone except Bobby and Ellen found themselves on the lawn after breakfast each morning, learning the precise but fluid movements that Cas used.

Cas was an extremely patient teacher, explaining each move as he made it and its possible uses and the different combinations. Jess and Benny picked it up very quickly, Jess was fast and nimble and Benny was a powerhouse, yet the style of fighting Cas used somehow suited them both. The movements were quick, brutal and efficient, no movement was wasted. What surprised everybody the most was how Garth somehow knew the same style and was almost as proficient as Cas. His lanky gait and awkwardness seemed to vanish as he performed a series of kicks and spins so gracefully he barely seemed to make contact with the ground. Cas was delighted to have a fellow practitioner and they did a small demonstration side by side showing the various katas in action.

Dean had watched with fascination and awe, he and Sam had been taught to fight from a young age in order to protect themselves, but this was something else. His and Sam's style of fighting already used an Alphas raw strength against them, but it often turned into a drawn out and protracted battle that was designed to wear down their opponent. He could certainly see the advantage of taking down an enemy without breaking a sweat.

He stood at the back of the group, following the movements and if he messed them up on purpose just so Cas would come over to correct his stance, pulling his body into position with gentle hands, well, that was no-ones business but his own.

 

Spring had arrived seemingly overnight, the surrounding forest was teeming with life and the floodplain on the other side of the river was a riot of colour as wild flowers sprang up in the long grass. The warmth of the day was sharply contrasted by the as yet still cold nights, leading to some spectacular rainstorms.

Dean sat on the porch watching Garth move the last few of his belongings into his new home. The cabin had been completed the day before, and the skinny Alpha had wasted no time setting everything up, taking a surprising number of items out of a car that Dean had originally dismissed as scrap until he had seen Garth actually drive it.

He flexed his fingers, the persistent ache in his broken arm had given way to a persistent itch. Jess had assured him that it was healing well, and the splint would be off in a matter of weeks, but he found his frustration and impatience growing with each day. He was not used to being idle or being limited for so long.

 

Hearing the door open, Dean looked up to see Charlie stepping out onto the porch with Rumsfeld, who promptly flopped down in a patch of sun and dozed as Charlie handed Dean a cup of tea and sat down next to him on the porch swing.

“Thanks, did Sam make this?” said Dean, indicating the tea. Charlie nodded and blew gently over the cup, trying to cool it before taking a sip.

“Nice, he makes it with a little honey. Heat tea is disgusting without it.” he said with a grimace and Charlie hummed in agreement. All of the Omegas had begun to drink the heat tea in preparation for their heats that were due any day.

“Ellen is prepping for our heats like we're going into a siege situation.” said Charlie looking a little annoyed by that.

Dean huffed and swallowed down a little more tea “Nah, it's just unusual to have this many Omegas under one roof durin' heat season. It's also the first time for her without her mate, that's gotta be hard on her. She might not go into heat at all though, some Omegas don't after their mate dies.” said Dean sadly.

Charlie looked guilty for a moment as she realised she hadn't considered that Ellen was still grieving the loss of her mate. “Shit, that's gotta be awful for her. I feel kinda bad for being a bitch about it.” she said, adjusting her collar as if it was too tight.

Dean was beginning to feel restless himself, like his skin was a size too small. “Everyone is feeling tetchy right now. Benny and Cas are gonna move in with Garth for a while, at least until our heats are over. It's bullshit.” he said bitterly.

Charlie looked sympathetic and pressed herself against Deans side until he threw an arm around her shoulder and hugged her to him. “Yeah, the timing sucks. He's gonna leave in a week or so and you'll be in heat for most of that and won't see him.” she said sadly

Dean sighed heavily. “Yeah, we're just courtin' right now. It's too soon for.. um.. shenanigans anyhow. Y'know 'specially as he's leavin'. It wouldn't be smart. He wants to do everythin' the right way. I kinda want that too.” said Dean shyly as Charlie smiled softly.

“That is actually really fucking romantic. I didn't think you had it in you.” she said with a sly nudge into Deans ribs.

Dean laughed out loud “Shut up, you'll ruin my reputation. I thought it was kinda weird and dorky at first, but turns out, it's kinda nice having an Alpha wooing you properly. Bein' all respectful and shit.” he said with a shrug.

Charlie's smile was soft “After that place, I never thought..” she paused, looking unsure.

Dean nodded in understanding. “You didn't think I'd ever even look at an Alpha? I never did before 'cause Dad always kept us movin' 'cause we attracted a lot of attention, and it wasn't safe. Met some real asshole Alphas, but I met some good ones too. Cas is one of the good ones. Not just as an Alpha, but like, as a person. Like I said to Sam, I can't live like I'm still in that place, Y'know? None of us should.” Charlie nodded and Dean hugged her closer to him.

“I guess you're right. I was just worried that you're not really dealing, that you're forcing yourself to be okay. I don't want you or Cas to get hurt. Anyone can see that you two really like each other, the fucking heart-eyes are sickening, dude.” she said, snuggling into Dean's side and wrapping her arms around his middle.

Dean dropped a kiss on her head and sighed. “I'll admit to being nervous about mating. It's forever, y'know? But I guess that's why we're courtin' first. So we can find out if we can put up with each others shit or not.” he said with a shrug.

 

Hearing a scrape of the door opening, Charlie and Dean looked up to see Bobby in the doorway looking uncomfortable.

 

Dean frowned and sat up, causing Charlie to sit forward too.

“Everythin' okay, Bobby?” said Dean worriedly.

Bobby grimaced “Yer brothers in heat. Jess is... uh.. a little protective. Now, I'm gettin' thrown out of my own damn house. So I gotta go stay at Garth's until this is all over.” he said gesturing back at the house.

Dean couldn't help it, he laughed. “Oh, I guess we should have thought about that. With them bein' so newly mated, Jess was bound to get a bit growly. I guess I should go in and pack you a bag for tonight, we'll figure out the rest tomorrow.” he said, rising to his feet.

 

Bobby nodded and stomped off towards Garth's cabin where Benny was now helping Garth move a large rocking chair onto the porch as Cas hung what looked to be a wind chime from the porch roof.

 

Charlie sighed “I never understood why Alphas get so territorial over their mates. I mean, it's not like a mated Omega smells good to an unmated Alpha, or a lesbian Omega for that matter. It's kinda gross actually.” she said wearily, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were a little glassy and her scent had taken on a heavier tone.

Dean shrugged “Me either, maybe someone will figure it out one day.” he paused and brushed a hand through Charlie's hair “Looks like Sam isn't the only one in heat, sweetheart. I think you are too. Go drink some more tea and take a nap.”

Charlie nodded and scooted off the porch swing and into the house ahead of Dean, who took one last look at Cas, who was laughing at something Benny was saying. He smiled as Cas looked over, seeming to sense that Dean was staring at him. He gave a shy wave and the smile on his face was visible, even from across the yard. Dean waved back and indicated he was going into the house, Cas nodded and turned back to the conversation with Benny.

 

Dean entered the house, heading to Bobby's room to pack him some items, he pushed down the feeling of rejection that suddenly flashed through him at Cas' seemingly casual dismissal, knowing that Cas hadn't meant anything by it and that his Omega hormones were going crazy, making him a little irrational and needy. He huffed a laugh to himself at his own ridiculousness as he packed a small overnight bag with Bobby's essentials. It seemed that the Omegas were all going into heat at the same time, possibly due to proximity. Jess had mentioned that it happened sometimes in bigger clans where there were a lot of Omegas. It was practically unheard of to have so many Omegas under one roof.

Closing the bag, Dean left the room. As he passed Sam's door he heard a muffled groan and automatically stopped, intending to check on his brother as he always had when Sam went into heat. He reached for the door handle and paused as he heard another moan, this one slightly higher pitched. He pulled his hand back from the door handle as if he had been burned as he realised what he was accidentally overhearing. He fled down the stairs with his face on fire,almost running through the screen door in his haste to get away. In all their years of close quarters, he and Sam had managed to avoid seeing each others... shenanigans. Dean was not willing to break that streak.

 

As he strolled across to Garth's cabin, he schooled his face into something less flustered. By the time he stepped onto the porch, he felt more in control of himself as he handed the bag to Bobby who thanked him with a grunt, then stomped off into the cabin. Garth and Benny were nowhere to be seen. Dean turned to see Cas giving him a soft look and a small smile as he sat balanced on the rail of the porch, his bare feet on the lower rail and his hands on his knees.

“Hello, Dean.” he said, gesturing for Dean to come closer. Dean went gladly, standing between Cas' legs, throwing his arms around him and burying his face in Cas' neck. He breathed in deeply, inhaling Cas' scent of petrichor and newly turned earth.

“Hmmm. You smell good.” he mumbled as Cas wrapped one arm around Deans shoulders, the other hand was gently carding through his hair.

“How are you feeling? You're a little warm.” said Cas, lifting Dean's head up and checking his temperature with the back of his hand.

 

Dean knew it would be pointless lying. This close, Cas would be able to scent the lie before he voiced it. So he went with honesty.

“Uh, I kinda just feel super needy right now. Sorry.” he looked down, embarrassed.

“Craving affection? How dare you. That's disgusting.” said Cas, deadpan. He pulled Dean even closer and chuckled as Dean sighed in relief.

“I just feel like I'm takin' advantage or somethin'. I mean, we're not even... y'know.” muttered Dean, scenting Cas deeply.

Cas frowned and the hand carding through Dean's hair paused for a moment.

 

“My affection for you is not based on sex, Dean. We both agreed that neither of us are ready to take that step. If you needed reassurance of that, this is it.” said Cas, dropping a kiss on Dean's temple.

Dean's breath hitched slightly and he pulled himself away to look Cas in the eye.

“I guess I did need the reassurance. Thanks Cas.” he huffed a laugh. “Ugh. I told I was needy. It's really fuckin' embarrassing.” he whined.

Cas chuckled. “Hey, you're talking to the huggiest Alpha you've ever met, remember? Well, except maybe Garth.” he shrugged and Dean snorted out a laugh.

“I'm just glad you felt able to come to me. You don't always take affection well. I worry sometimes that I'm coming on too strong or that I've upset you.” said Cas quietly.

 

Dean's heart sank. He could smell the Alphas sadness and he knew he needed to explain why he was running hot and cold. He stood up completely and looked Cas in the eye, knowing that Cas probably needed some reassurance of his own. Taking the Alphas hand in his, he kissed him gently before taking a deep breath.

“Cas, it's not you. I .. uh.” he paused, taking another shaky breath. “When we were in the compound, Alistair would beat on us for practically any reason. It was bad, some days it was hard to get out of bed because it hurt so much.” he gripped the Alphas hands tight as Cas flexed his jaw, trying to control his own anger, so as not to distress Dean further.

“But what was worse, was the affection. He'd beat us, then he'd lavish affection on us. He'd sing, brush our hair, tend our wounds. Touching us like he had every right to. The whole time you'd have to take it, because if you didn't, he'd just beat you again until you couldn't fight back, and it would start all over again.” he paused again, fighting to hold back tears. His voice thickened and his scent took on a chalky tone.

“The rational part of me knows that he did it to fuck with our heads. Only he called it “training”. He told me right from the start that he was going to break me. If we'd have been there much longer, I think he would have. I'm trying real hard not to let that bastard win, Cas. So, I might be weird about it sometimes, but don't ever let it stop you from tryin' either. Because I know you ain't like him.” he said shakily.

 

Cas looked at him, his expression was soft. “Thank you for trusting me, Dean. That must have been hard to say, but I'm glad you did. I understand now. I'm sorry I didn't before. You're very brave.”

Dean looked uncomfortable. “I'm not brave Cas, I'm a fuckin' coward. If I'd have said somethin' earlier, you wouldn't have been thinkin' you did somethin' wrong. I'm so sorry, Cas. I didn't mean to make you feel bad.” he said, tears spilling over and pouring down his face.

Cas looked alarmed. Instinctively reaching to pull Dean in for a hug, he checked himself before he completed the manoeuvre and awkwardly patted Dean on the arm instead. The uncharacteristic clumsiness did not go unnoticed and Dean gave Cas a dirty look as he cringed.

“Smooth, dude.” said Dean sarcastically.

“Yeah, not my finest moment. Sorry.” said Cas sheepishly. “Can I hug you?” he held his arms open, looking hopeful and Dean forgave him instantly and threw himself into the Alphas arms with enough force to make Cas grunt with the impact and scrabble for balance on the rail before he almost tipped over and landed on the dirt.

“What I was going to say before my faux pas, is that we'll figure this out together. Look, I fumbled it just now, but let's just say, in the future, if either of us feels the need for affection, we ask the other?” said Cas softly.

Dean whined at that. “Ugh, that's too weird, man.”

Cas huffed a laugh. “Okay then, what do you suggest? I never want to make you feel uncomfortable again. It will be easier once.. _if_ we mate, we'll be able to sense each others moods and needs. So it's just while we're courting. I'll do whatever makes you happiest.” he said squeezing Dean's hand gently.

Dean felt a rush of affection for the Alpha. He was willing to do whatever it took for things to work for the both of them. He figured he should probably do the same.

“Okay. We'll do the asking thing. I guess it's only weird if we make it weird, right?” he said, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve.

“That's very true. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks, if this is what you need, then this is what we'll do.” said Cas, gently.

 

Dean suddenly burst out laughing, laughing even harder at the confused expression on Cas' face.

“Dean, why are you laughing? Did I say something funny?” Cas looked completely baffled.

“No. No, I'm sorry. It's just that Charlie thinks we're one of those sickly sweet couples that everyone pretends to hate but secretly loves. I just realised she's right. We totally are. It's sickening.” laughed Dean.

Cas grinned and a sly look came over his face. “We could start using sappy pet names like 'snookums' or, what was it you called me before? Huggy bear! That was it. Oh, that will make her vomit, for sure.” said Cas, laughing hard at his own joke.

Dean spluttered and then roared with laughter. “Can you imagine Bobby's face if I called you 'huggy-wuggy-bear' at breakfast? I think he'd choke on his oatmeal, man.”

They were both helpless with laughter, made worse when Bobby stepped out on to the porch with an annoyed expression and a muttered “Idjits.” before rolling his eyes and going back inside.

It took them several minutes to calm down, avoiding eye contact lest they start laughing again.

 

“Aww man, it's been a long time since I laughed that hard. Years, probably.” said Dean, with a breathless sigh as he sank down into Garths rocking chair.

Cas nodded, wisely keeping it to himself that he thought it had more to do with a release of tension than anything else.

Dean sighed again. “Well, I'm certainly all over the map today. Are you sure you're up for this, Cas? Think you can cope with someone as strung out as me for the rest of your days? He said, jokingly.

Cas looked deadly serious for a second. “No, I don't _think_ so.” he said gravely.

 

Dean's face fell as his heart sank.

 

“I'm absolutely certain that I can.” he said just as seriously. He smiled as Dean realised he'd been tricked.

“You fuckin' dick!” said Dean, beginning to laugh.

“I'm sorry, that was a little cruel in the delivery, but the sentiment remains true.” said Cas, hopping down from the rail and kneeling in front of Dean. “Now, can you stop putting yourself down? What you are feeling right now is perfectly normal, stop acting like I should be scared off by it. I've waited a long time to find someone to share my life with. Someone to love me for real, not just bound to me with a bite. You being emotional doesn't scare me. It's the thought that you don't feel anything for me at all, that terrifies me the most.”

Dean felt a little awed by Cas' confession. He smiled and cupped the Alphas face.

“That's kinda why I'm scared, because I do feel something for you. You are everything I ever wanted, I just never thought I'd get to have it. We're in the same boat, I guess.” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Cas dropped his head onto Dean's knee and sighed with relief. “I fell for you the moment I saw you. I didn't realise it at the time, but that's what happened. All I knew was that I wanted to be near you, and I needed you to be safe. I didn't believe that anything would happen between us, but I wasn't ready to part from you either. I'm still not ready to leave you, if I'm honest.” he said, running his hands over Dean's calves.

Dean sighed, running his fingers through Cas' hair absently “I know, I'm not ready for you to go either. I get how important it is, everybody will be in danger if you don't go. It's just really shitty timing, I'm gonna be laid up for the next few days with my heat, so I won't see you.”

“I won't go without saying goodbye. I promise.” said Cas, leaning in to Dean's hand in his hair.

 

“You'd better not, or I'll chase you down.” said Dean, meaning every word.

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*  
> Look, a new chapter! It's a short one, but I will be posting another on Friday. You lucky, lucky people.
> 
> Thank you for the lovely comments and support after my story was stolen. Wattpad have now deleted it and blocked the user. Again, if anyone sees this posted elsewhere, can you let me know? The user certainly doesn't have my permission.
> 
> This chapter was supposed to be on the end of the last chapter, but it went better on its own in my opinion.  
> *Warning for mentions of Mpreg. (If you don't like it, why are you reading an A/B/O fic?) 
> 
> As always comments and kudos are appreciated.

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.**

 

Cas finished loading the last of his belongings into the under-seat storage in the truck. He turned around to find Bobby standing behind him with a sawn-off shotgun, his expression was unreadable.

“I gave you this, ya idgit. Yer not supposed to leave it behind.” said the older Alpha grumpily.

Cas smiled and reached out for the shotgun, but Bobby dodged and stepped towards the truck instead.

“I'll put it in there myself. Then I know it's done.” he climbed up into the cab, and slotted the sawn-off into the clips attached to the roof above the wind shield on the drivers side.

“Bobby, you already gave me a rifle and a crossbow and almost all of the ammunition you had. There are more weapons hidden in this truck than in most settlements. It's too much.” said Cas patiently.

“Boy, I ain't reached the ripe old age of never-you-mind without knowin' a trick or two. No such thing as too much when it comes to weapons. Now, I believe the words yer lookin' for are 'thank you Bobby'.” the older Alpha snapped as he climbed back down from the truck.

Cas huffed a laugh and nodded. “Thank you, Bobby.”

Bobby just grunted in response and clapped the younger Alpha on the shoulder as he walked away.

Cas watched him walk to the house before double checking the ties holding down the all weather covering on the back of the truck. He knew he was stalling and putting off saying goodbye to Dean, he suspected that the reason Dean hadn't come outside was because he was doing the same thing in trying to delay the inevitable. Cas had said his goodbyes to everyone else the night before, he would be leaving early before everyone else was up. Eventually, Cas accepted that he could stall no longer, and set off for the house with determined steps.

 

Stepping through the door, Cas spotted Dean straight away. He sat at the bottom of the stairs hugging his knees looking miserable. Everyone else was conspicuous in their absence.

“Dean.” Cas started, his voice failing as his throat thickened with emotion. He stopped a few feet in front of the Omega.

Dean stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking at the floor.

“I guess this is it.” he mumbled, refusing to meet Cas' eyes.

Cas cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. “Yes. I need to leave now if I want to get to a safe place to camp before dark.”

Dean just nodded as his eyes filled with tears. Cas stepped forward and held out a hand.

“Walk me to my truck?” he questioned and Dean nodded again, taking Castiel's hand and allowed himself to led outside.

Stopping at the drivers side door, Cas pulled Dean into his arms and kissed him, pouring everything he felt into it. Dean responded in kind, and the kiss grew desperate and hungry as Cas suddenly pushed Dean against the side of the truck and pinned him with his body as Dean wrapped his arms around the Alpha, gripping tight to the jacket he'd given Cas as if to pull him even closer. They broke for air, panting slightly, their breath visible in the cold morning sunlight.

 

Cas relaxed a little, no longer pressing Dean against the truck. He cupped Dean's face and sighed.

“I will call you tonight, when I make camp. Look after yourself while I'm gone, I'll be checking in with Bobby and Sam to make sure you do.” he said seriously.

Dean just nodded, finding himself unable to speak he looked at Cas hoping he understood.

It seemed that Cas did, as he kissed Dean again gently and stepped back allowing Dean to step away from the truck.

“I have to go.” he said sadly. “I- I love you.” he gripped Deans hand briefly and turned to get in the truck while Dean just stared open mouthed after him.

Cas started the engine and leaned out of the window giving Dean a sad smile.

“I'll be back as soon as I can. Be good.” he said arching an eyebrow.

Dean stood dumbstruck as the truck began to move away, Cas gave a casual wave out of the window.

Suddenly Deans feet began moving of their own accord, chasing the truck.

 

“Cas, wait!” he yelled.

 

The truck stopped and Cas leaned out of the window frowning.

“Dean?” he said, confused.

Dean caught up to the truck and stood on tip toes, kissing Cas quickly before whispering

 

“I love you too.”

 

Cas grinned, his eyes crinkling in the corners and half of his gums showing.

Dean stepped back and Cas winked before pulling away, honking the horn and kicking up dust causing Dean to shield his eyes.

 

He watched the truck until it disappeared over the horizon.

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Sam woke up slowly, gradually surfacing from the deep sleep he'd finally fallen into after tossing and turning for most of the night. Looking over at the other side of the bed, he noticed Jess had already started her day, her clothes were gone and she had kindly laid out fresh clothes for him to dress in. He sat up and scrubbed the grit from his eyes, before yawning and stretching. Standing up, he yawned again, scratching his stomach absently. As he dressed slowly he thought back to what had kept him from falling asleep the night before.

His heat had only lasted two days.

It was a sure sign that he and Jess had made a baby or two. They were going to be parents. He was equal parts thrilled and terrified at the prospect. Jess was her usual calm self, but her scent had betrayed the fact that she too, was apprehensive. The whole household was aware of the situation, no-one had said anything, but it was obvious by the way everyone watched him like a hawk, as if a sign would appear over his head saying “PREGNANT”.

It was too early for his scent to change, that usually happened about a month in. They wouldn't know for sure until then. Sam didn't feel any different, a little tired, but heats had always left Sam exhausted, no matter how long they lasted.

Deciding that food and drink were in order, Sam quickly made the bed and opened the drapes, propping the window open to air out the room, before making his way down to the kitchen.

 

Dean sat at the kitchen table with Amy, who looked exhausted, she was recovering from her first heat after having her son and it had been rough on her with a toddler to look after, even with Ellen's help.

Dean looked miserable, and Sam could smell the sorrow in his scent. It wasn't the same as the sorrow that had permanently tainted their fathers scent, it was a mere hint in comparison, but it was there. He vowed to himself that he would make time for his brother, who for all intents and purposes was separated from his mate. Sam was pretty sure that Dean and Cas were a foregone conclusion. It made him happy to know that his brother had found someone, and Cas was a good Alpha for Dean. Sam liked him, he came across as aloof, formal and a little terrifying at first, but after getting to know him, Sam had realised that Cas had hidden depths and was in fact, a gentle soul.

Helping himself to tea and some of the oatmeal in the pot on the stove, Sam took a seat next to his brother and nudged him affectionately.

“So, what's the plan for today, jerk.”

Dean brightened immediately, as Sam had intended.

“Jess is gonna take off the splint later, I gotta wear a support bandage for a while, and she says I'm not allowed to push it. But, it means I can help Bobby put up the temporary shelter for the newcomers.” said Dean, who had never done well being idle.

“How many are coming? Did Garth confirm numbers?” said Sam, wolfing down the food as if someone was about to take it from him.

Dean looked at his brother in fascination at the rate the food was disappearing.

“Wow, and you say that I have bad table manners.” said Dean, pointedly before answering Sam's question. “Garth tells me there are twelve coming, mostly Betas but a couple of Alphas too. They start arriving in a couple of days.”

“So what will I be doing?” said Sam, ignoring Dean's jab at his eating habits.

Dean stood and took Sam's bowl and refilled it, handing it back without comment as Amy smiled behind her hand.

“Bobby needs you to mark the trees on the north side that need to come down. Then he wants you to check the sheds inventory, so he's got a better idea of what he's workin' with.”

Sam nodded, until it was confirmed one way or the other, it was wise to act as though he was pregnant. No heavy lifting or anything too strenuous. He wasn't being given busy work, the tasks he had been given were essential, and would probably have fallen to him anyway, so he wasn't offended in the least.

“The shed will take me a week to go through. Have you been in there recently? I have no idea where Bobby finds this stuff” said Sam not-so-secretly itching to explore and categorize the wonders of the shed.

The shed was in fact a barn that Bobby had filled to the brim with what he considered useful items, building materials, tools and even weapons. It was heaven for someone like Sam.

“Yeah, I dunno either. I spotted steel rails in there, man. How did he even get them in there? They weigh a ton!” said Dean, thoughtfully. “I mean, what could he even use 'em for?”

Sam stopped eating for a moment and looked thoughtful. Then he shrugged.

“I stopped trying to figure out why Bobby does anything a while ago. I just know he's prepared for things that no-one has even thought of.” said Sam knowingly. He resumed eating, quickly finishing the second bowl and gulping down the last of his tea. “Where is Jess?”

Amy spoke up, surprising both of the brothers. “She's helping Garth set up his distillation kit. She wants to start making medicines as soon as possible. She- she's going to train me to be a medic too, if I want. I- I'm thinking that maybe I want to.” she said, shyly.

Sam smiled and Dean's face lit up.

“Amy, that's amazing. You'd be so good at it. Look at how you helped save Cas. That was bad-ass.”

said Dean, meaning every word.

“It certainly won't hurt to have more than one medic, that's for sure. Dean's right, you would make a good medic.” said Sam, standing up from the table. “I'm gonna go find Jess, then I'll get cracking on marking those trees. I'll catch you later, guys.” he said moving towards the door.

“Catch you later, man. Tell Jess to get a fuckin' move on, will ya? I want this damn thing off my arm asap.” said Dean grumpily.

Sam stopped and looked at Dean incredulously. “Sure, you want me to tell her that word for word, because I think you'd look really funny trying to eat with no teeth.” he said raising an eyebrow.

Dean shrugged, trying to play off being called out on his rudeness. “Whatever, I can still run faster than her.” he said cockily.

Sam smirked. “Not with my foot in your ass, you won't.” he laughed at Dean's faux hurt face.

“Why Sammy, you would help your Alpha to beat your helpless Omega brother? How could you?” said Dean, laying it on thick.

Sam began making his way out of the door “Yes, I would, and easily. Now I'm gonna tell her to take her time, because you're being a dick. Have fun being bored!” he threw over his shoulder just before the door closed behind him.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Cas felt strange driving the truck without Dean beside him. The silence was almost unbearable. He found it strange that he had spent months in complete isolation, without talking to a soul, without any human contact and it hadn't really bothered him. Whereas now, he missed Dean and his new friends intensely and it had only been hours. Part of him wished he had taken Benny up on the offer to come with him. But he knew he'd made the right decision in that regard. Benny would not do well in the politics of Michaels clan, the strict hierarchy and rules would quickly become a problem for the outsider Alpha.

He wondered how he himself would cope being back in the regime after the freedom of the last few months. It would be difficult, but he was willing to do just about anything to protect his new family and the life he would be free to plan. He imagined the future, living in the house that Dean had designed with the children he and Dean would have. For the first time, the life he had always dreamed of was within his reach. He was in love, and best of all, someone loved him in return.

The week before he left, he had compiled the evidence and written his reports for Michael. Bobby had made meticulous copies of everything, his sharp eyes spotting patterns that Castiel had not.

Cas had carefully managed to edit out any mention of the Omegas or the rescue and explained his delay and injury as an attempted robbery by would be thieves, with his extended recovery spent with a beta trade caravan.

Bobby had raised his eyebrows at that, but had nodded approvingly at the lie. It was clear he approved of keeping the Singer homestead off the map and out of sight of a potentially hostile clan.

Bobby had never heard of the Novak clan, nor had Garth. Cas was not surprised, his clan had been very insular and isolated until fairly recently, and even now only traded with a few select clans.

 

He was making good time to reach the planned campsite for tonight. He was planning on sleeping in the truck, but a safe place was still needed. He would reach the foothills of the mountains tomorrow, and there he would stash the truck in a cave until it was needed. The journey through the mountains could only be done on foot. The roads that had existed in the mountains were impassible, and the valley in which his clan lived could only be accessed via a stone staircase carved hundreds of years before, when the valley had been the site of a scientific research station.

He thought about what he would say when he confronted Uriel. He thought of the faces of his clansmen who had been tortured to death because of Uriels betrayal. He thought of his sister, Hannah and hoped she would forgive him for faking his death. He thought of introducing Hannah to Dean and smiled. He thought of introducing Balthazar to Dean and cringed, there would certainly be no love lost there, they would hate each other on sight, he felt a pang in his chest at the thought. Then he thought of stabbing Uriel in the face and felt a little better.

 

With that image in mind, he pressed harder on the accelerator and sped towards his destination.

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*  
> Three chapters in a week? Oh yeah! Make the most of me being super productive. I guarantee it won't last. 
> 
> Okay, some people have tried to guess at how the story is going to go. No one has figured it out yet, although, some of those ideas are pretty awesome! (damn you!) 
> 
> This chapter is one that made me emotional to write. It just shows you, it never rains, but it pours. Things just got a lot more complicated for everybody. 
> 
> Also, I swear I wrote this before the latest episode aired, I finished this chapter almost a week ago and I'm part way through the next. Any similarities are pure coincidence, but still frickin spooky.

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.**

 

Cas had made excellent time getting to the foothills of the mountains, the cave he planned to stash the truck in was a much used stopping off point for the clan when they travelled in an out of the mountains. He would camp there tonight and make the days journey to the next stopping off point in another cave, deep in the mountains, camping there before making the final leg of the trip to the clan itself.

The radio in the truck had barely been able to send and receive when he spoke to Dean the night before, Bobby had warned them that the mountains might interfere with the signal and he had been right, now all Cas could pick up was static. He hoped Dean wasn't too upset. He didn't like his chances of sneaking away from the clan to make a call anytime soon. He had no intentions of revealing the existence of the radio or even the truck if he could help it. That would reveal the existence of Dean, and Cas would never risk that. When the war was over, he planned to vanish in the night, giving no explanation just like Gabriel had years before.

 

The familiar terrain held no excitement, merely trepidation for what was to come. The mist that he once thought beautiful, now looked eerie. The valley walls that he once found security in, now felt like they were pressing in and suffocating him. He found himself longing for the sounds and smells of the forest that surrounded Singers homestead. He considered it home, the mountains were simply where he was born and lived until now.

The grassy slope leading up to the cave entrance was soaking wet from the fine rain and the wheels of the truck struggled to find traction, resisting the urge to press on the accelerator, Cas merely zig zagged his way to the top of the slope, in a similar fashion to how he tackled slopes when wearing skis in the depths of winter.

He frowned as he looked at the mouth of the cave, someone was in residence. The light of a fire could be seen near the widest part of the opening. The smoke blending in to the thick mist that was an almost permanent feature of this part of the mountains.

Cutting off the engine he checked his weapons and climbed out of the truck. Approaching the mouth of the cave, he squinted into the blackness, trying to see who was inside.

He sniffed the air, but the mist and the smoke from the fire drowned everything else out. Hearing a soft noise behind him, he turned quickly, blade already in hand, ready for an attack.

 

“It's about bloody time you showed up.” said Balthazar who looked unbothered by the blade currently being held to his throat.

 

“Balthazar! What are you... What are you doing here?” said Cas, lowering the blade and looking around in confusion.

“Knitting a blanket.” said Balthazar sarcastically “I was waiting for you to get your lazy arse back here so I could catch you before you tried to go home.”

Cas frowned. “What happened?” he growled.

Balthazar sighed. “Lets get out of this disgusting weather and get a drink, you'll need it.” he said, slapping Cas on the shoulder and heading into the cave.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Dean strolled into the kitchen, trying to get ahead of the crowd and get first pickings for dinner. Since the newcomers had arrived, mealtimes were a chaotic affair. Bobby promised to sort out a better way by the end of the week and work had started on a dorm with a laundry/bath house and kitchen next to the barn where the animals were kept.

The newcomers were from Bobby's network, here to begin construction on the buildings that would be the basis for the hub that Bobby had envisaged. They seemed like a friendly bunch, albeit big drinkers. Garth had been working around the clock trying to keep up with the demand, even though Bobby had limited the workers to only drinking after dark.

Dean smiled at Ellen, she was in her element. Running the roadhouse gave her the experience at feeding a lot of people and handling drunks. Between her and Jo, the hungry masses were fed three times a day. Charlie had taken over the radio duties and had actually made the system more efficient. Amy's experience in trapping and skinning came in useful for feeding so many. The skins and furs were hung out to dry on the top floor of the barn.

 

Snagging a handful of flatbread and bowl of stew, Dean dodged Ellen as she snapped a cloth at him crossly and ducked into the radio room where Charlie was elbow deep in radio parts with a frown on her face, her tongue poking out as she concentrated on soldering something that looked complicated.

“Hello, your majesty” said Dean, flopping heavily into the chair and frowning at the stew now dripping down the front of his shirt. Wiping it off with a piece of flatbread, he shrugged and ate it much to Charlie's visible disgust.

“Urgh. How Cas finds you the least bit attractive, I'll never know.” she said, wrinkling her nose.

“Shullub umm hod” said Dean, through a mouthful of food. He swallowed noisily and repeated to Charlie's confused face “I said, shut up, I'm hot.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “Sure you are, poppet. I'm sure Cas would love to see you wearing your dinner and smelling like eau du rabbit stew.” she said snarkily. “Could you try not to spray food everywhere? I thought Bobby told you not to eat in here any more?”

Dean shrugged, the day before Bobby had found jam on the dials of the radio and had yelled at Dean for ten minutes. “I'm not touching anything. I didn't mean to get stuff all over the dials, I was trying to talk to Cas and the radio kept fading in and out.” he said sulkily.

Charlie sighed. “I know you're worried. I am too. But you know how tough he is, he'll be back, and you'll get mated and then you two will start making unfairly cute babies that adore their cool aunt Charlie.” she smiled tightly as Dean's expression became dreamy, then frowned as his expression changed to one of fear.

“What if he meets someone else while he's away? He might find someone better and never come back. He could be gone for months, Charlie. That's a long enough time to forget me.” whined Dean.

Charlie growled under her breath. “Are you done? Because enough with the fucking pity party, Dean. Cas loves you. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. He's off saving the world and what are you doing? That's right, whining like a bitch. Get the fuck over yourself, because I'm done dealing with your moods.” she snapped before bursting into tears.

Dean sat open mouthed at Charlie's outburst. He put the food down and stood up, looking like he'd been slapped.

 

Charlie looked contrite. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of that.” she sobbed.

“Yeah, you did, and you're right, I've been an asshole the last few days. I'll get over myself. But this ain't like you, Charlie, what happened?” said Dean, leaning a hip on the table and trying to meet Charlie's eyes.

 

“I realised that one of Bobby's contacts is in my old clan. So I radioed them. I wanted to know how my mom was, she was really sick when they threw me out and I hoped that maybe she was well enough to come here, I could look after her, y'know?” she took a shuddered breath and sobbed harder.

“When they realised who I was, they told me to fuck off, but not before they laughed as they told me she died during winter.” a horrible sound burst out as Charlie completely fell apart. Her knees gave out and Dean rushed to support her, pulling her into a hug. He sat in the chair, with Charlie on his lap, her face in his chest as she cried. He rocked her gently, stroking her hair and making soothing noises.

 

“Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. What a fuckin' shitty way to break that sort of news.” said Dean, angry on her behalf.

Charlie just cried and burrowed further into Dean's arms. Dean looked up and met Bobby's eyes as the Alpha looked furious in the doorway. Dean stiffened and Charlie looked up at Dean and turned to face Bobby.

“Yeah, I heard most of it. When you're feelin' up to it, I'll be wantin' the name of the asshole who treated you like that, kiddo. I'm real sorry about your mom. Now you're here, that makes ya part of our family. We might whine like bitches sometimes, but we got each others backs.” said Bobby who looked visibly moved. His eyes were glassy and he swallowed a few times and cleared his throat before he continued. “Anyone treats you like that ever again, you come tell me straight away. I'll set 'em right.” he pointed his finger at the radio and then himself.

Charlie nodded and tried to stand, holding her arms out as if to hug Bobby, she hesitated, unsure of how it would be received.

Bobby rolled his eyes. “Aw hell, c'mere.” he said, motioning her to come to him.

Charlie ran into his arms and the Alpha squeezed her tight, murmuring something into her ear that Dean couldn't catch. Bobby looked at Dean who nodded.

 

Someone was going to pay for hurting Charlie.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Cas dropped his head in his hands and slumped as the shock robbed him of coherent thought.

 

“Michael is dead?” he said, disbelief in his voice.

 

“Along with a lot of others. Alfie and I managed to get Hannah and a few others out before the fighting got too bad. We were too late, Cassie. Their plan was in motion before we even went to the canyon. It's why we were sent there in the first place. They knew you would be a problem so they wanted you out of the way.” said Balthazar, drinking heavily from a flask filled with something strong smelling before offering it to Cas, who took it gratefully. He took a swig and grimaced before handing it back.

“Who is “they” and what exactly happened?” said Cas, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Balthazar put the flask down and leaned forward.

 

“Uriel was working for Lucifer, yes, but he was playing both sides. His brother, Raphael started it, he wanted a war between Michael and Lucifer, he planned to have them fight it out to the death and who ever won was going to be bumped off and dear old Rafe was going to mop up the spoils.” he sighed deeply

“Only it didn't work out that way, Raphael and Uriel had more opposition than they anticipated. When you didn't come back from the canyon, instead of attacking Lucifer in vengeance like he was supposed to, Michael backed down and concentrated on defence only. He refused to send anyone else to die. He wanted Lucifer to come to him. I kept to the plan, I thought we had time. But no, Michael shut down and, well, that put a crimp in Rafe's plans, so he outright challenged Michaels leadership in front of the clan. Calling him a coward and a traitor to those that died in the canyon. He brought to light some of Michaels terrible behaviour behind the scenes.” Balthazar reached for the flask again, taking a swig before offering it to Cas who sighed and took another drink.

Balthazar continued “It split the clan, people who once spat on you for your beliefs were suddenly ready to kill their nearest and dearest to avenge your death. Others sided with Michael, wanting to wait Lucifer out. Some left the clan right then and there, wanting to opt out altogether. It was a mess. I knew then I had to get Hannah out, so Alfie and I grabbed her and whatever we could carry and fled. I sneaked back a couple of days later and by then more than half of the clan were dead, including Michael and Raphael, or they'd run away. Uriel triple-crossed everyone and led a purge on all who opposed him. The fools following him either don't realise that they've done Lucifer's work for him, or they don't care. Uriel played everyone, including his own brother. There is no-one left to fight Lucifer.”

 

Cas felt the colour drain from his face. “Where is Hannah, now?” he gasped out. “I need to see her.”

Balthazar looked sick. “Uh, there is something else I have to tell you, and I don't think you are going to like it very much.”

Cas growled “Where is Hannah? Is she alive? Was she hurt? Tell me!” he stood up, towering over Balthazar threateningly.

Balthazar sat back, wary of his friend for the first time in his life. “She's alive, and with nary a scratch. I swear. She's hiding nearby. Can- would you sit down please? You need to calm down. The whole scary Alpha smell is rather potent and it's hard to concentrate.” said Balthazar wearily.

Cas stepped back, but began pacing instead. He was far from calm. “What could you possibly say that is worse than our entire clan being decimated?” he barked, his hands were bunched into fists at his side.

Balthazar flinched. “Well, it's not worse, per say, but it will be a shock. I really do think you should be sitting for this, my friend.” he tried again.

Cas took a deep breath. None of this was Balthazar's fault, taking his anger out on the poor Beta was unfair. He sat down on the log opposite his friend and took several calming breaths, his angry Alpha scent going down a few notches.

Balthazar visibly relaxed, but still looked guarded. “Okay, I don't know much about the specifics at this point, but it seems that your father is very much alive. Michael apparently kept him prisoner for the last thirty years after your mother was killed. It was one of the things that Raphael revealed when he confronted Michael in front of the entire clan, it's why he and Uriel gained so much support.”

 

“Wha... _Oh God._ Jesus-fucking-Christ. That-thats _insane!_ ” Cas' voice went through several different registers in shock, because somehow, he just _knew_ it was true.

Cas choked on air, his vision clouded and there was a loud buzzing in his ears. He felt like vomiting as his chest constricted painfully.

Balthazar leapt forward and shoved Cas' head between his knees, rubbing his back fiercely.

“Okay, breathe. Just breathe, Cassie. It's just a teeny-weeny panic attack. You've had worse. That's it. Please don't vomit on me. Just breathe.” he crooned soothingly as Cas panted and retched harshly.

Cas allowed himself to drift as Balthazar talked him down from the edge, the spots in his vision slowly cleared and the breath returned to his lungs. The nausea was persistent though and he swallowed over and over as he fought the urge to empty his stomach. Realizing he was fighting a losing battle, he pushed Balthazar away and staggered to the cave mouth and vomited.

 

Balthazar stood to one side, he held a flask of water out ready.

“Are you alright?” he said nervously.

Cas gave him an incredulous look and took the flask.

Balthazar cringed. “Yes, stupid question. I meant are you okay to hear the rest?”

Cas rinsed and spat, then took a few gulps before giving Balthazar a pained look.

“There's more? How can there possibly be more? What am I saying? Of-fucking-course there's more.” said Cas, he looked exhausted.

 

For the first time Balthazar looked truly nervous. “I'm afraid so, my friend. This is the part that's really going to sting. I'm sorry, but I haven't been honest with you about something and it's come around to bite me in the arse in a rather spectacular fashion.” he said putting a little more distance between himself and the Alpha that he suddenly realised only appeared calm.

Cas closed his eyes, his whole world had already just tipped on its axis and now his friend was about to tell him he had betrayed him.

“What did you do?” he gritted out, his teeth clenched and his whole body shaking.

Balthazar kept backing up, almost out of the cave itself at this point.

“When dear Rafe dropped the bombshell that your father was alive, I had no way to contact you. So I did the next best thing. I went to Gabriel. Between us, we got your father out from where he was being held and Hannah is with them now. They're nearby and safe.” he said, holding his hands out placatingly.

Cas stepped forward, his head tipped to the side as if confused, he held one hand out in front of himself and pointed at the Beta who was now looking terrified.

 

“You knew where Gabe was, this whole time?” he said calmly. Too calmly.

 

Balthazar sighed. “Yes. Gabe told me to keep it a secret, he didn't want Michael to find him. I was only to tell you if you decided to leave the clan, so you'd have somewhere to go. I kept an eye on you where Gabe couldn't. I gave him semi-regular updates on yours and Hannah's welfare. He was devastated when he had to leave you both behind.”

Cas stormed over to the Beta and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

“My whole god-damned life is a lie! Is there anyone who _hasn't_ lied to me?” Cas near-screamed in Balthazars face, before stepping back to begin pacing again.

Balthazar sat up, dabbing at the cut on his lip, he hissed and then sighed.

“Okay, I deserved that.” He stood and dusted himself off, straightening his clothing as he did.

“Your sister had a similar reaction, although she aimed very much lower than you did. I believe she also gave Gabriel a black eye. Although, that might have been his mate, she's a bit of a handful that one.” he said, wincing and dabbing at his lip again.

 

Cas spun around on the spot and looked at Balthazar intensely. The Beta flinched, expecting another punch.

 

“Where is Uriel now?” said Cas, his lip curling in anger.

“Presiding over what's left of the clan. He's named himself Clan Alpha and by the looks of it, isn't a very good one. He's pretty much only got his hardcore supporters left. The rest are dead, or they've fled. I can't really tell without getting too close.” said Balthazar uneasily.

A sinister look came over Castiel's face and Balthazar shook his head.

“Oh, no. I know that look. What are you going to do? Couldn't you just punch me again instead?” said Balthazar with a groan.

Cas huffed a laugh, he supposed he should really.

“I want to see my family. Then I'm going to stab Uriel in the face. But first, I've got to talk to a man about plan B.”

 

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*  
> My productivity came to a screeching halt when my doctor upped my meds. As we say where I live "I can't tell my arse from my elbow". The doctor assures me that I'll get used to them. I hope so, I only get around two hours a day that I'm not a zombie.   
> I'm on twitter (@zoeleeclark) you can give me a follow if you want. I don't tweet much, but I like chatting with new friends. 
> 
> I'm introducing new characters in this chapter, it's brief, but I've been looking forward to writing a couple of these characters for a long time. Let me know what you think. 
> 
> As always your comments and kudos give me the encouragement I need to carry on writing.

**CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.**

 

Dean hammered the last dove-tail joint into place and stepped back to admire his handiwork. For the past few days since Cas left, he'd mostly sulked and done very little work. After Charlie's meltdown, he'd pulled his head out of his ass. He still wasn't allowed to do much heavy lifting, so he threw himself into making the furniture for the dorm. He'd just finished making the bench for the kitchen. It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was sturdy and functional.

 

Hearing a noise behind him, he turned to see one of the Alphas from the newcomers standing in the doorway to the work shop.

“Hey, it's Gordon, right?” said Dean, sweeping the sawdust from the bench with a small brush.

Gordon smiled. “Yeah, that's what they call me.” he gestured to the various bits of furniture around the work shed. “Did you make all of these?” he said looking impressed.

Dean chuckled, still sweeping sawdust from the workbench to the floor. “Mostly, yeah. Sam and Bobby do some, but it's just me right now.”

Gordon stepped closer and ran his hand over the bench that Dean had just finished. “You do good work.” he said, stepping even closer to Dean, who stepped back and reached for the broom, clearly uncomfortable.

“Uh, sorry man. I kinda need to sweep where you're standin'. Gotta get all the sawdust, it's kind of a fire hazard, y'know?” he said, nervously.

Gordon grinned. “My apologies. I was just curious about the gorgeous Omega working away all by himself. I thought you might be lonely.” he stepped even closer.

Dean cringed. “Uh, no. I'm not, and for the record, I'll never be _that_ lonely.” he snapped, the Alpha was too far into his space and smelled of chewing tobacco and body odour. He readied himself for a fight.

There was a flash of irritation across Gordon's face, but the grin was back so fast Dean thought he'd imagined it.

“Well, if you change your mind. I'll be around.” he said in what he probably thought was a seductive tone before walking back out the way he came.

Dean sighed. “Yeah, that ain't happenin'.” he said to himself as he began sweeping the floor.

 

Seeing a shadow, Dean expected that the Alpha was back again, but looked up to see Sam leaning in the doorway, both hands on either side of the frame.

“Oh. Hey, Sam.” said Dean sounding relieved.

“Hey, was that one of the Alphas I just saw leaving? What did he want?” said Sam, frowning.

“Yeah, Gordon. I think he thought he was flirting, just came across as super desperate and creepy. Told him I'm really not interested. Just another entitled knothead who thinks he's hot shit.” said Dean with a grimace.

Sam wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Ew, that really sucks for you. He creeps me out too, always watching the Omegas, the other Alpha, Cole, is a bit more subtle about it at least.” Sam gave a shudder. “I'll have a word with Bobby, let him know he was bothering you.” said Sam taking the broom from Dean's hands.

Dean looked at Sam in confusion. “What are you doing? I need to sweep in here.” he objected.

Sam chuckled. “Nope, I'm doing that, Cas in on the radio. He asked to speak to Bobby first, but he wants to talk to you too. So go and see what your boyfriend wants 'cause it sounded important.”

Dean frowned “Is he alright?”

Sam shook his head “I don't know, he sounded kinda pissed off actually.”

Dean sighed. “His douche bag clan must have given him crap or something. I'd better go, catch you later Sam.” he clapped his brother on the shoulder and ran to the house.

 

As he came in the front door, he was immediately concerned by the faces of everyone standing outside the radio room. Benny, Garth and Charlie all looked worried and Ellen looked furious. He could hear Bobby talking, but couldn't make out what was being said.

“What's going on?” whispered Dean to Benny.

“Nothin' good, brother.” the big Alpha whispered sadly, shaking his head.

Fighting off panic, Dean continued on into the radio room. Bobby was seated at the radio listening to Cas as he stated his intention to confront Uriel.

 

“ _I have to kill him, he may not have a large following, but it's enough to be a problem if he decides to openly join Lucifer. It was enough to destroy my whole clan.”_ Cas sounded awful, his usual gravel rough voice, now sounded like he'd been gargling razor blades.

 

Dean gasped and turned to face Benny, who nodded sadly.

 

Bobby sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and running a hand down his face. He picked up the mic to reply.

 

“Okay, son. I just don't want you going off an' getting' killed 'cause you want revenge. You got a plan for taking that son of a bitch out? You're kinda outnumbered, ya idgit.” said the older Alpha roughly.

 

“ _He still has no idea that I'm alive. I managed to get in and out of Lucifer's clan holdings without being detected for months. I can get into my own clan and kill Uriel, no problem. I'm more concerned about what you meant by plan B. Do you actually have one?”_ said Cas, sounding a little irritated.

 

Bobby growled a little under his breath. “I got ideas, nothin' set in stone. Forgive me, Cas, but if your clan is gone, so has the threat of the two clans teamin' up to take us all down.” said Bobby getting irritated himself.

 

The radio was silent for almost a full minute before Cas spoke.

 

“ _While that may be true, Lucifer is still a threat on his own. He won't stop just because he didn't get my clan to join him. This is only a partial loss to him. It may have been his intention all along. The only thing that held him in check before was that my clan existed at all. He knows now that there are no other clans big enough to stand against him.”_ he said the words quietly, but the impact was not lessened in the slightest.

 

Dean looked around the room as each face depicted the horror of Cas' statement.

 

Bobby sagged in the chair. “Balls!” he growled into the mic. “Okay, I guess we'd better start workin' on plan B. I take it after you kill that son of a bitch, you'll be headin' back here?” he questioned.

 

“ _Yes. Um, I'll have a few more people with me than I originally planned. If that's okay?I guess I'll have to ask them first, I haven't even spoken to them yet. That's going to be an awkward conversation...”_ Cas trailed off, with a sigh. _“Is Dean there? I need... I need to speak to Dean, alone if possible.”_

 

Dean stepped forward and took the mic from Bobby, who nodded and patted him on the shoulder as he stood, giving Dean the chair.

 

“Cas? It's me. Bobby's cool with that. It's fine.” said Dean, looking up to see Bobby ushering everyone out and closing the door.

 

“ _Dean.”_ Cas breathed his name like a prayer.

 

“Yeah, Cas. It's me. We're alone now. How're you doin'? I caught the end of the conversation and it sounds like it's pretty bad. Wanna tell me what happened?” said Dean gently.

 

“ _I was too late. Almost the entire clan is dead or scattered. Michael is dead, Uriel betrayed his own brother, Raphael. He even killed the Omegas and children, Dean. Michael and Raphael were assholes, but to kill the innocent.. I..I..”_ Cas broke off, unable to continue.

 

Dean felt sick. “Fucking hell, Cas. No wonder you want to kill the bastard. I would too.”

 

“ _You have no objections to me going up against him? Bobby wasn't so supportive.”_ said Cas, sounding confused.

 

Dean shook his head, forgetting that Cas couldn't see him. “Nope. Just a stipulation. Bobby was just concerned you'd get hurt. If he calls you an idgit, it means he cares.”

 

“ _Oh, okay. What is your stipulation?”_ Cas sounded cautious.

 

“Make him fuckin' suffer.” Dean spat.

 

Cas grunted his agreement. _“Believe me, he will. Don't worry, I won't go in without a plan. I also have... other news, Michael was also more of a bastard than we gave him credit for. Dean..my father is alive. He's been Michaels prisoner since Hannah and I were two weeks old.”_

 

Dean frowned “What the fuck? Just.. What the actual fuck?” he said dumbly.

 

“ _I believe I said something similar. I rarely curse, but I've done a lot of that today. Since I also found out that my brother Gabriel is still in the picture. Apparently, he kept an eye on us from afar. Hannah and my father are with him now. I'm going to see them when I finish this call. Dean, I... I have absolutely no idea what to say when I see them. It's too much. I feel completely overwhelmed.”_ Cas sounded desperate and very far away.

 

Dean's heart hurt for Cas. He longed to comfort him and words were not his forte. He'd never felt so inadequate.

 

“Cas, I have no idea either. You're talkin' to me, when things get emotional I can't even speak. Maybe you should just say that. That you're overwhelmed, I mean. Surely they'd understand that. Jesus, I wish I was there with you. I'd hug you so hard.” Dean's eyes were starting to fill.

 

“ _I wish you were here too. No, wait. I wish I was there. I miss you. I miss all of you. Is everyone okay there? How's Sam, any signs yet?”_ Cas sounded almost desperate for some good news.

 

“We're all good, Cas. We miss you too. Sam is being a bitch as always, but no, no signs yet. It'll be a few weeks before we know for sure. The dorm is almost done. It's a little rough, but it's not supposed to be a palace. It'll be done before you get back. Any idea when that'll be?” said Dean, trying hard not to sound excited, under the circumstances it would be disrespectful and selfish.

 

“ _I don't know. I'll have a better idea once I talk to my family. I had to drive quite a way out to get a signal. But I wanted to talk to you before I saw them. Balthazar is furious right now because I kicked him out of the truck and into the rain so I could talk to you and Bobby in private.”_ Cas actually chuckled at that.

 

Dean frowned. “Isn't he your best friend?”

 

“ _Yes, he's also using this time to remember what that means. He lied to me, he knew where my brother Gabe was the whole time and neglected to tell me. I've already forgiven him, but I need him to suffer a bit more before I tell him that.”_ Cas sounded smug.

 

Dean actually laughed out loud.

 

“Cas, that is a level of pettiness that I didn't think you had in you. Well done, man. I'm actually a little proud.” he said, sounding it.

 

“ _Thank you, I think. I'd better go, Dean. I have to go and meet my family. I'll talk to you again tomorrow. I love you.”_ Cas sounded a little better than he had at the start of the call.

 

“I love you too. Good luck with your family. Talk tomorrow.” Dean sagged in the chair as Cas ended the call.

 

Hanging up the mic, Dean ran his hand down his face, he wasn't comfortable with Cas going up against Uriel, he'd only just recovered from the last fight in which he'd nearly lost his life. He knew that leaving Uriel to his own devices was not an option. If he had gone so far as to kill the Omegas and children, well, who knows what he could be capable of. So Dean had given Cas his blessing, knowing that Cas would face him no matter what he said, if he'd disagreed, Cas would go into the fight distracted. At least this way, he'd be focussed on Uriel.

Dean wished he had something good to tell Cas for the next time he called. Something that would lift his spirits and give him something to look forward to when he came home. An idea began forming in his head and he almost ran from the room to find Bobby.

 

He didn't have to go far, Bobby and Sam were outside the radio room, both looked pensive and they had obviously been waiting for Dean.

“Everything okay?” said Sam, carefully.

Dean snorted. “Not really. I think you knew that though.” he said with a grim smile.

Sam nodded. “Bobby gave me the basics, Cas must be feeling pretty bad right now. They may not have been good people, but they were still his clan. Is there anything we can do?” Sam's concern was genuine.

Dean felt a warmth in his chest that Cas and Sam both obviously cared about each other.

 

“Actually, yeah maybe. What do you two know about greenhouses?”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Cas held back a laugh as Balthazar huffed in the passenger seat. He was still damp from being put out in the rain, but he'd cheered up considerably when Cas had put the truck heater on and had not been able to hold back his curiosity about Dean. Cas filled Balthazar in on where he'd been, the rescue, the bandit attack, his injury and recovery. Balthazar had refrained from teasing Cas about his obvious affection for the Omega, wisely sensing that he was on thin ice with the Alpha as it was.

“How much further?” said Cas, looking out the windsheild at the rough track they were currently driving on. It would be dark in an hour, Cas didn't want to chance this road at night, even though it had stopped raining.

“It's just ahead. You'll see it anyyy second...now.” said Balthazar, pointing to the strangest sight that Castiel had ever seen.

 

It was a vehicle of some kind, it looked like a two storey building on wheels. It was painted in various bright garish colours, had been patched several times over and had clearly been in place for a while, judging by the faded bunting and lights strung up in the surrounding trees. There were awnings covering a seating area to one side, with a well used fire pit that was stacked with wood, but not yet lit. Several dark haired, golden skinned children ran around playing a game, their shrieks of laughter could be heard over the sound of the truck engine.

 

Pulling to a stop, Cas sat open mouthed as the children swarmed the truck, giggling and climbing over each other to say hello to the new arrivals, their little hands banging on the windows and the body of the truck. There were at least a dozen of them.

Balthazar laughed at the stunned expression on Castiel's face.

“These are your nieces and nephews, your brother has been _very_ busy.”

A loud whistle cut through the children's squeals and they paused in their assault on the truck.

“Get off the truck or no dessert, you little heathens!”

 

Gabriel stood a few feet away, his hands on his hips and a stern look on his face that was spoiled by the twinkle in his eye. The children began shrieking anew and ran at their father. Squeals of “Papa!” drowned out Gabriel's laugh as he vanished under a pile of wriggling children.

 

Balthazar nudged Cas from his shocked stupor. “I'd get out now if I were you, he can only keep them distracted for so long.”

Nodding dumbly, Cas got out of the truck. Looking around he saw Hannah step out of the large vehicle and squeal, her hands covering her mouth in shock.

“Castiel! Oh thank god!” Hannah began running towards her twin as he stepped towards her.

Castiel caught her in a hug as she slammed into him.

“When Balthazar told me you were alive, I hardly let myself believe it! I needed to see you for myself to know for sure. Now you're here! You're here and you're alive!” she babbled as she clung to him.

“I'm sorry Hannah. I'm so sorry.” he whispered as he rocked her to and fro, squeezing her tight.

“Never do that to me again. I couldn't take it. Promise me.” she held his face, looking into the blue eyes so much like her own.

“I promise.” he smiled as she gave Balthazar a look of interest at his cut and swollen lip. She gave a small satisfied smile as she realised who had given it to him and why.

“I take it he told you everything?” said Hannah, her tone cool.

“I believe so. If I'm honest, it's a little overwhelming to say the least. I'm at a loss of what to say.” said Cas, releasing her and looking around nervously.

“I can imagine. Gabriel and his mate, Kali have taken us in. But it's not ideal, as you can probably see for yourself.” she said indicating the massive vehicle that housed all of them, somehow.

“I've never seen anything like this. How do you all fit in there?” said Cas, a sceptical look on his face.

“It's called a Winnebago, and it's a squeeze but it has it's surprises.” said Gabe, who seemed to appear from nowhere and miraculously unencumbered by children. He had a smile on his face, but he looked nervous.

“Gabriel.” Cas' voice sounded strained to his own ears.

“Hey, little bro.” said Gabe, the smile softened. “Looks like I can't call you that any more, huh? You're all grown up. How'd you get so tall anyway? I could develop a complex looking up at you like this. You should kneel, or something.”

“You haven't changed a bit. You're still just as much of a dick as you always were.” said Cas, rolling his eyes.

Gabe burst out laughing. The tension broke as everyone else joined in.

“Come on, Dad's out cold for the night, but let me introduce you to the rest of the fam. Kali is gonna love you and the kids will eat you alive. Or is it the other way around? Let's find out!” said Gabe, bouncing towards the Winnebago excitedly, like a puppy off the leash.

 

Cas took a deep breath and squeezed Hannah's hand for comfort. He could do this.

 


End file.
